For the first time, two quarterbacks in the middle of one of the most revisited NFL Draft decisions in recent history will face off.
Back in 2020, the Dolphins picked Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa fifth overall. The selection came four spots after the consensus top prospect, Joe Burrow of LSU, went first overall to the Bengals. That made Tagovailoa the second quarterback off the board. One pick later, the Chargers selected Oregon quarterback Justin Herbert.
The decision by Miami has been second-guessed plenty. Herbert posted historic numbers in his first two NFL seasons while Tagovailoa battled injuries and posted solid, if unspectacular, numbers in 2020 and 2021. This year, the debate has been amplified with Tagovailoa stepping up in a major way.
NFL fans will have a chance to see the quarterbacks face off for the first time Sunday when the Chargers host the Dolphins on "Sunday Night Football."
MORE: The key stats to know in the Justin Herbert vs. Tua Tagovailoa debate
The Sporting News looks back at the Dolphins' decision two years ago to take Tagovailoa over Herbert.
Why did the Dolphins draft Tua Tagovailoa over Justin Herbert?
It might be easy now to speculate as to why the Dolphins selected Tagovailoa over Herbert, but at the time, it looked like a no-brainer.
This is how Tagovailoa compared to Herbert on select media outlets' NFL Draft big boards:
| Big board | Tagovailoa | Herbert |
|---|---|---|
| The Sporting News | 6 | 22 |
| NFL.com | 6 | 20 |
| The Athletic | 5 | 15 |
| Bleacher Report | 6 | 27 |
| CBS Sports | 10 | 36 |
| ESPN | 7 | 24 |
Not only was there little debate between Tagovailoa and Herbert, there was also debate over whether Herbert should even be the third quarterback drafted. CBS Sports and ESPN both listed Jordan Love above Herbert. Love wound up being the fourth quarterback drafted, going 26th overall to the Packers — a full 27 picks before 2022 MVP candidate Jalen Hurts.
The biggest knocks on Tagovailoa were concerns about his health following a major hip injury in 2019; his height; and his arm strength. He earned praise for his precision, accuracy, decision-making and effective mobility.
MORE: Mike McDaniel acknowledges mistake to Tua Tagovailoa during loss to 49ers: 'I f—d up'
Herbert, on the other hand, was praised for his impressive arm talent, size and mobility but was criticized for his accuracy and decision-making.
Dolphins general manager Chris Grier said that the Dolphins went through the process, got to know Tagovailoa in the lead-up to the draft and decided he would be the best fit for the team. Then-Dolphins coach Brian Flores agreed with Grier, praising the traits he felt made Tagovailoa a fit.
"He fit a lot of the criteria we talk about at the quarterback position," Flores said. "Good player, good person, leadership qualities, we're very happy with the pick."
Do the Dolphins regret drafting Tua Tagovailoa over Justin Herbert?
In November 2021, Grier was asked again about the pick, and he reaffirmed that the organization felt good about it.
"I don't know, I leave that up for you to judge," Grier said. "We went through our process with everyone and it was a process. We felt good about Tua. There were a lot of things we liked about Tua. We liked Justin, too, he's a good player. We spent time with both players and at the end of the day, we chose Tua and we feel he'll be a good player in the league. He's developing and we're happy with where he's at right now."
MORE: How McDaniel restored Tua's confidence with belief — and a 700-play highlight reel
By November 2021, it was easy to second-guess the Dolphins' decision. Herbert's 4,336 passing yards in his rookie season were second only to Andrew Luck's 4,374, per Stathead. His 31 passing touchdowns set a first-year record. In his second year, he became one of the youngest quarterbacks to reach the 5,000-yard threshold.
Tagovailoa was fine, but still a project. In 2020, he started nine games (10 appearances) and completed 64.1 percent of his passes for 1,814 yards, 11 touchdowns and five interceptions. He finished his second year with 12 starts (13 games), a 67.8 completion percentage, 2,653 yards, 16 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. Through two years, he had only 131 more passing yards than Herbert's rookie season and four fewer touchdown passes.
MORE: How Chargers' injuries have hindered Herbert's 2022 stats
The narrative might be changing. Tagovailoa has been one of the league's best quarterbacks while leading a team that is making a major playoff push. Herbert, though he has 480 more passing yards, has one fewer touchdown pass and two more interceptions, and he will need to work some late-season magic to bring his team to the playoffs.
With Burrow going to the Super Bowl, Herbert posting absurd stats and Hurts leading his team to the playoffs in 2021, Tagovailoa had plenty of pressure coming into the 2022 season. His standout campaign has done plenty to justify his being selected over Herbert.
