10 NFL rookies who could become instant stars in 2020

Tua Tagovailoa – Miami Dolphins

The success of Tagovailoa’s rookie season obviously hinges on the health of the hip he dislocated during his final year at Alabama.

The Miami Dolphins will not have had the opportunity to get a proper look at Tagovailoa’s hip because of the enforced closure of team facilities during this unique offseason.

That may lead them to play it safe with the fifth overall pick and stick with Ryan Fitzpatrick as a stop-gap starter.

Even if Fitzpatrick initially keeps hold of the starting job, the veteran’s play is inconsistent enough that there will eventually come a nadir that leads him to be benched for Tagovailoa.

Regardless of whether Tagovailoa is named the starter ahead of the season or he assumes the role from Fitzpatrick during the campaign, he has the talent to swiftly prove he was the top quarterback in the 2020 class.

An anticipatory thrower who delivers the ball with incredible velocity and shows superb ball placement when going deep, Tagovailoa has drawn comparisons to Steve Young.

That is perhaps not surprising given his scrambling ability and how he excels throwing on the run, and it illustrates how high the expectations are for Tagovailoa.

If healthy he has the capability to live up to such lofty comparisons and, playing for an intriguing Dolphins team that made significant moves to improve on both sides of the ball this offseason, Tagovailoa can instantly give hope to a historic franchise that has for too long been starved of it.