BREAKDOWN
TuAnon is right about one thing: We’re all wrong about Tua’s deep ball. He is actually pretty good when he’s able to lead his receiver into open space downfield, and he is particularly accurate when throwing to receivers with defenders in a trailing position. But contrary to popular belief, those aren’t throws that require a surplus of arm strength. Timing and touch? Sure—but not pure arm strength. And the throws that do require that power are the ones that give Tua the most issues. His limitations pop up when he’s forced to throw with bodies around him, and if there isn’t room to step into those throws.
There just isn’t an obvious blue chip strength in Tua’s skill set. He clearly understands how to attack a coverage, but that’s a skill any high-level backup possesses. He can get rid of the ball if his pre-snap read is correct, but if the picture changes on him, he panics. He navigates the pocket well but freezes if things close in on him. His accuracy is limited to touch throws and quick passes. And for a quarterback who’s billed as a smart processor, he sure does make a lot of mental errors. Tua is just good enough to operate in a talent-heavy offense, but don’t expect much more than that.
BIGGEST STRENGTH: ACCURACY
Tua’s arm talent may be limiting, but the throws he’s good at … he’s really good at. We already covered the deep vertical routes into space that he makes with regularity, but his best throw might be the deep crosser, which will endear him to new teammate Tyreek Hill, the NFL’s toughest cover on those routes. Tua’s precision can be found on quick-hitting RPOs, which served as the foundation for the Dolphins offense in 2021.
BIGGEST WEAKNESS: PRE-SNAP
Tua needs to be a bit more skeptical. NFL defenses lie—the good ones, at least. Just because they’re lined up a certain way before the ball is snapped doesn’t mean they’re going to remain that way after. Tua still struggles to pick up on the defensive tells that would improve his in-play decision-making.
qbrankings.theringer.com
