Jalen Hurts and Tua Tugaviloa impress in early season

Ben Yanowitch

    The NFL season is now finished with the early weeks of the season, and we have seen many upsets and twists. One surprise has been that Nathaniel Hackett’s Denver Broncos are struggling to get anything going offensively despite the offseason addition of star quarterback Russell Wilson. Along with Denver’s offensive troubles,the Las Vegas Raiders have struggled despite a terrific offseason that included additions of superstar wide receiver Davante Adams, and a new head coach in former Patriots Offensive Coordinator Josh McDaniels. The Cincinnati Bengals are also struggling, mainly due to their offensive line that has been disappointing despite an offseason remodel. Despite these teams who were expected to dominate are struggling, two teams have remained undefeated: the Philadelphia Eagles and the Miami Dolphins. Both teams are led by Alabama quarterback alumni, Jalen Hurts and Tua Tagovailoa. 

    Jalen Hurts was the 53rd pick in the second round of the 2020 draft by the Philadelphia Eagles. Scouts touted his ability to rush, but they had their doubts about his ability to throw. While Hurts’s play reflected why scouts were worried about his passing game, he has proven his ability to both rush and throw in the early weeks of the season. Now in his third year, Hurts has been nothing but outstanding in the first three games. Hurts has posted a 106.5 Quarterback rating, 916 passing yards, 167 rushing yards, and seven total touchdowns while leading the Eagles to a 3-0 start. He has also been assisted by the offseason addition of former Tennessee Titans wide receiver AJ Brown, who was acquired on draft night in exchange for a 2022 first round pick. Another asset for Hurts has been his former college teammate, wide receiver Devonta Smith, who won the Heisman trophy at Alabama. Smith was the Eagles first round pick in 2021, and has been nothing but excellent for the eagles so far. In his rookie season, he posted 916 receiving yards and 5 touchdowns and has continued to impress in his second season. 

    Former Alabama quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa, was selected 5th by the Miami Dolphins in the 2020 NFL draft. Tagovailoa has also been excellent in the early weeks of the 2022 season. Some scouts worried that Tua was too short, and that his injuries in college would end up limiting his career in the NFL. These injuries included two ankle surgeries, a hip surgery, and a concussion. Scouts also believed that if Tua was able to overcome these injuries, that he could be a terrific pocket passer, and have a solid ability to extend plays. While Tua’s first couple seasons have been rather underwhelming, partly due to his injuries,he has looked outstanding so far in his third year. The Dolphins, like the Eagles, have also started the season 3-0. In the Dolphins win over the Baltimore Ravens, the Dolphins were trailing 35-14 going into the fourth quarter against the strong Ravens defense. In this game, Tua threw for 469 yards with 6 touchdown passes. Many fans and analysts were shocked Tua was able to lead the comeback. Tua’s top two wide receivers, Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, played a major role in the comeback. Hill was acquired in the offseason from the Kansas City Chiefs in exchange for five draft picks; most notably a first and second round selection. Hill ended the game with 190 receiving yards and two touchdowns. Despite doubts about his arm strength and his ability to throw to Tua in stride downfield, Tua has been able to have a terrific connection with Hill. Waddle, also an Alabama alumni, was selected 6th in the first round of the 2021 NFL draft. Waddle had an amazing rookie season where he had 1015 receiving yards and 6 touchdowns. In this game, Waddle was also phenomenal and had 2 touchdowns and 171 receiving yards. It is safe to say that Tua’s connection with Waddle from college has transferred well to the NFL.

    While there is already an amazing amount of Alabama quarterback and wide receiver talent in the NFL, there is more to come. Detroit Lions first round pick, wide receiver Jameson Williams, is a promising talent. While he missed the NFL combine, scouts believe he would have run a 4.3 second 40 yard dash, and that he has top notch route running skills. Another talent coming out of Alabama Head Coach Nick Saban’s program is their current quarterback, Bryce Young. Young won the Heisman trophy in 2021 and has been off to an excellent start in 2022. He is projected to be a top draft pick in the 2023 draft.