STRENGTHS
Tua might be the most accurate quarterback in this draft. He is adept at hitting receivers in stride like a hunter shooting skeets out of the air. He shows a good strong arm and can make all the throws with the needed accuracy, touch or appropriate velocity. Tua has the athletic talent to manipulate the pocket and extend plays. He runs well and has the foot quickness to juke opponents in the open field making third downs and touchdowns with his legs. He does a good job throwing on the run or moving and resetting his feet without losing any accuracy. Tua has a quick release and can throw with accuracy from different angles and release points once again, without it affecting his accuracy. Tua shows leadership qualities through his play on the field and in making the big play in the passing game. He has the passing skills to bring a team from behind and this makes him a potential Franchise Quarterback for the team that selects him.
CONCERNS
There are a lot of holes in Tua’s overall game. First of all, he panics and throws the ball up when he has to stay and throw from a muddy pocket. This will be magnified at the next level and lead to him turning the ball over. Of course, there will be questions about his injuries and if those injuries (Knee and Hip) are chronic or career-threatening. Tua is also left-handed and a lot of teams do not like left-handed quarterbacks at the next level. They won’t admit it but history suggests it. He also holds on to the ball too long and the fact that there is a lot of talent on this team, the question for some teams might be if he is the beneficiary of this talent and to what degree? Also, you can add size into the equation, no matter how well smaller quarterbacks do in the NFL there are still coaches who will stick to their opinions about size.
BOTTOM LINE 1.47
We all know unless there are issues about his injuries that Tua will be selected very early in this draft. After all, in spite of the concerns I have outlined none of them except the injuries are issues that cannot be overcome. For me personally, I say draft him, commit to him and put him in an offense like the WCO that will allow him to get rid of the ball quickly and move in the pocket to deliver the ball. Don’t try to make him a pure pocket quarterback. Don’t make him go through three progressions. Make your plays two progressions or make those progressions flood the same zone, at different levels, so he can go through them quickly. Going from one side of the field to the other could cause problems for him as far as staying healthy. Then again, I’m just a dumb old fan, what do I know? Tua has excellent overall talent but what he brings most to the NFL is the uncanny accuracy to hit receivers in stride crossing the field or vertically. It’s quite amazing.
