Tagovailoa will be one of the draft’s biggest X factors. When healthy, the Crimson Tide signal-caller boasts the processing speed, pocket presence, accuracy, and overall playmaking set to be a star at the next level. But the devastating hip injury he suffered in November could be a deal breaker for some teams. His medical checks leading up to April’s draft will determine just how high he’ll go.

Based purely on talent, though, Tua is the total package. The 6-foot-1, 232-pound dynamo leaves Alabama with the most statistically impressive passing career in college football history, finishing with the highest passer-efficiency rating (199.4) and yards-per-attempt average (10.9) ever to go with 87 touchdowns and just 11 picks. His 12.7 percent touchdown percentage ranks first in Division I history… by more than 2 percentage points. He’s a quick decision-maker, reading coverages almost instantly while decisively attacking downfield. He pairs those critical mental attributes with a tight, compact throwing motion that helps him put the right amount of touch on his passes at all three levels. Tagovailoa has an expert feel for the pocket, stepping up or away from pressure while keeping a balanced base and his eyes downfield. The junior quarterback doesn’t have a rocket arm, but the ball jumps off his hands; he can hit deep outs with plenty of velocity and he throws a pretty deep ball. In the short and intermediate areas, he leads his receivers away from big hits or hits them perfectly in stride so they turn upfield and pick up extra yards. Tagovailoa can pick up yards with his legs too; he rushed for 340 yards and nine touchdowns in his career. As far as intangibles go, Tua showcased incredible poise, toughness, and leadership in his three seasons at Alabama.

Tagovailoa gets in trouble when he tries to do too much, and that’s led to some turnovers. He’s gotten tunnel vision while moving through his progressions on a few occasions and has tried to force a few ill-advised passes off his back foot and into double coverage. Tagovailoa is a bit undersized by traditional standards, and the durability question is a big one: In addition to the hip injury, Tua has suffered high ankle sprains in each of the past two seasons (his left in 2018, his right this season), both necessitating a TightRope procedure to correct the issue.

Tagovailoa is a decisive, accurate, and dynamic playmaker with all the intangibles of a franchise player. He also made one of the greatest throws in college football history.

Tua’s hip injury could take him completely off some team’s boards. There could also be some concerns that his numbers were inflated by Alabama’s elite surrounding talent.