Tua Tagovailoa: Dolphins 'Very Discreet,' Didn't Tip Cards Before No. 5 Pick

The Miami Dolphins drafted their quarterback of the future Thursday night, selecting Alabama Tua Tagovailoa with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft. 

Tagovailoa said the Dolphins held their cards close to their vest during the draft process: 

Tagovailoa also said he was excited to be joining the Dolphins:

It was unclear where the former Alabama quarterback would end up. Given his injury concerns, there were questions about whether he might drop down the board. Plenty of buzz linked the Dolphins to Oregon quarterback Justin Herbert, who ended up going one pick behind Tagovailoa to the Los Angeles Chargers. 

That contributed to what ended up being a difficult period for the young quarterback:

Tagovailoa's junior season was cut short by a season-ending hip injury. He was having an excellent campaign before the injury, throwing for 2,840 yards, 33 touchdowns and three interceptions while completing 71.4 percent of his passes. 

Given those injury concerns, the Dolphins wisely addressed the offensive tackle position later in the first round, selecting USC's Austin Jackson with the No. 18 pick. That gave the Dolphins their quarterback and left tackle of the future, with the hope that two cornerstone positions have been filled for the next decade. 

If the Dolphins are right, Thursday night could be a transformative moment for the franchise. If not, Miami may be going back to the drawing board in three or four seasons. But Tagovailoa seems likely to produce when he's on the field. The real question will be whether he can remain healthy to stay on it.