Taulia Tagovailoa Quarterback Maryland | NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report (2024)

Draft Profile: Bio

Taulia Tagovailoa brother of Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa grew up in Hawaii but played high school ball at Thompson High in Alabama where he broke a multitude of passing records. Tagovailoa was the first QB to throw for 400 yards in a game on four separate occasions. In addition, he broke the 500-yard joining an exclusive group of only 10 QBs before him, and finished his senior year throwing for 3,728 yards and 35 touchdowns at Thompson.

He was one of the top-rated quarterbacks in the 2019 recruiting cycle and was unanimously rated a four-star prospect by all the major recruiting sites. After being heavily recruited he joined Alabama but transferred to Maryland after just a year due to him being stuck sitting behind Mac Jones and with the five-star prospect of Bryce Young being tabbed as the likely future Crimson Tide starter.

In 2020 as a sophom*ore he played in 4 games as he passed for 1007 yards on 122 attempts with a completion percentage of 60.7 for an average of 8.3 yards per pass, with 7 TDs, while also taking 8 sacks, and putting up a solid QB rating of 82.2. He added 19 runs for a total of 131 yards at an average of 6.9 per rush.

As a junior in 2021 Tagovailoa had a major breakout season - playing in 13 games he passed for a record-setting 3842 yards on 478 attempts with 26 TDs and allowed 23 sacks, with an impressive QB rating on the year of 101.1. As a runner, he logged 61 runs for a total of 318 yards at an average of 5.2 per run.

In 2022 as a senior Tagovailoa saw action in 11 games as he threw for an impressive 2780 yards on 354 attempts with a completion percent of 68.6 for an average of 7.9 yards per pass, with 17 TDs, while taking 32 sacks, and totaling a QB rating of 101.0. He added 50 runs for a total of 241 yards at an average of 4.8 per run.

Honors & awards

• 2022 Maxwell Award Watch List
• 2022 Davey O'Brien Award Watch List
• 2022 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award Watch List
• 2022 Pro Football Focus Preseason Second Team All-Big Ten
• 2022 Athlon Sports, Lindy's Sports & Phil Steele Preseason Third Team All-Big Ten
• 2021 Maxwell Award Watch List
• 2021 Honorable Mention All-Big Ten
• 2021 Pro Football Focus Third Team All-Big Ten
• 2021 Polynesian College Football Player of the Year Finalist
• 2021 New Era Pinstripe Bowl MVP
• 2021 CoSIDA Academic All-District
• 2021 Phil Steele Fourth Team All-Big Ten
• 2021 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Top-25 Candidate
• 2020 Honorable Mention All-Big Ten

Scouting Report: Strengths

• Very strong with a stocky build - similar to Russell Wilson and so will hold up well to the beating he will take in the NFL
• Good runner who can easily rip through arm tackles
• Very confident passer and shows good accuracy and feel when in rhythm. Showed better ball placement from past years and throws very catchable passes. Puts too much air in some of his throws and needs to show a lower trajectory on deep throws.
• Obviousl NFL bloodlines with natural leadership qualities
• Physically, Tagovailoa is a natural athlete who plays with balance and light feet to float in the pocket.
• Tagovailoa has a quick release and shows good accuracy on shorter throws when on the move to either side.
• Ball placement is a strength. Tagovailoa has the natural instincts to make plays when forced to improvise.
• Good zip and ball placement on the quick slant. Good touch down the seam and on post-corner, flag routes to attack the defense vertically and horizontally.
• Athletic quarterback who is a threat to leave the pocket and gain positive yardage at any time. Possesses very good vision balance, elusiveness, and deceptive speed and power as a runner.

Scouting Report: Weaknesses

• Height is a major issue - stands just 5-11 and isn't immune from the problems that short quarterbacks usually experience
• While his arm strength is decent it is not elite and it's not uncommon for his deep passes to fall a little short
• There is a place at the next level for such a sharp offensive mind, but Tagovailoa has very limited NFL potential because of his physical shortcomings - a third-day pick who looks like a career backup
• Mechanically, his stride is inconsistent, adding to accuracy issues. His decision-making after the snap is shaky and has made a number of suspect decisions when under heavy pressure
• Tagovailoa has a bad habit of fading and throwing off his back foot when the pocket gets muddled, and he is too often all-arm when throwing on the move, sacrificing accuracy.

Player Comparison

Smaller Tua Tagovailoa

Scouting Report: Summary

Taulia Tagovailoa is a quality physical prospect, with excellent mobility, and a decent arm, combined with impressive accuracy and has the professionalism you look for in a pro signal caller. He however suffers from random mental lapses and is prone to bonehead decisions while under pressure. This combined with his small stature makes him an uneven pro prospect and thus a less complete player than his elder brother.

Currently Taulia Tagovailoa is likely to be viewed as a middle-round prospect in the 2023 NFL Draft, although he may be over-drafted due to the recent success of his brother.

How other scouting services rate Taulia Tagovailoa (Overall Rank)

*Percentile Ranking in Player's Position Group (NFL Combine Historical Data): This percentile reflects how a player's specific statistics rank in comparison to historical performances at the NFL Combine, specifically within their position group. A higher percentile indicates a better performance. For instance, being in the 90th percentile for a particular stat means the player outperformed 90% of their peers in that category.

*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.