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Battle for No. 1 overall: Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama

By Seth Steere

SANTA CLARA, CA - JANUARY 07: Tua Tagovailoa #13 of the Alabama Crimson Tide walks off the field after his teams 44-16 loss to the Clemson Tigers in the CFP National Championship presented by AT&T at Levi's Stadium on January 7, 2019 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
SANTA CLARA, CA - JANUARY 07: Tua Tagovailoa #13 of the Alabama Crimson Tide walks off the field after his teams 44-16 loss to the Clemson Tigers in the CFP National Championship presented by AT&T at Levi's Stadium on January 7, 2019 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /
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In our second installment of the ‘Battle for the No. 1 overall pick,’  it’s QB Tua Tagovailoa who goes under the spotlight as he enters a season with national championship aspirations.

It feels like we have been talking about Alabama QB Tua Tagovailoa for years now. He’s been on the NFL draft radar since taking over for Oklahoma QB Jalen Hurts in the 2017-2018 National Championship game as a true freshman.

Since then, Tua has been compared to Seahawks QB Russell Wilson, and for good reason. Wilson is arguably the best deep-thrower in the NFL and Tua is gifted with the same talent. They both have a great sense of how much air to get under the ball and can drop it in the bucket.

Tua is also similar in size and possesses similar abilities as a runner, even if he isn’t quite as dynamic as the former Super Bowl champ.

The one thing working against Tua is, ironically, how good Alabama is. He rarely plays a full game because the Crimson Tide usually blow out their opponent. It’s difficult to get a complete sense of his ability because he’s rarely challenged with adversity.

We have seen Tua struggle against top competition, however.

Against Georgia in last season’s SEC championship game, Tua completed just 40% of his passes and threw two interceptions. He didn’t have his best day against Clemson in the National Championship, either.

Aside from his performance in big games, his injury history is going to be of utmost concern to NFL teams. Tua has battled ankle injuries during his time at Alabama; he needs to prove he can remain healthy for a full season.

Next. Battle for No. 1 overall: Chase Young. dark

Tua has to clean up his game in the season’s biggest moments if he wants to be the No. 1 overall pick. A healthy season will help, too. There may not be a better quarterback prospect in the country in 2019, and with the NFL always looking for the next great starter at the game’s most important position, Tua is the odds-on favorite to be the first player picked next April.

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