In anticipation of the upcoming 2022 NFL season, we begin a new series here at Bama Hammer that will take a look at the numerous former Alabama Football players set to take the field this fall at the professional level, along with what their seasons may look like.
As you can tell by the title as well, we begin the series today with a 2022 season preview of the former Alabama Football players in the AFC East.
Alabama Football in the NFL 2022 Season Preview: AFC East
OJ Howard – Buffalo Bills
2021 Stats: 14 receptions, 135 yards, 1 TD
Having spent the first five years of his NFL career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2017-21, Howard moves to the AFC East in 2022 after signing with the Buffalo Bills as a free agent during the offseason.
Moving from one Super Bowl contender to another, Howard likely enters the 2022 season as the backup tight end on Buffalo’s depth chart, sitting behind only Dawson Knox. Regardless of that however, Howard should see a notable number of targets with the Bills in 2022, and could be set for an uptick in production compared to a year ago.
Tua Tagovailoa – Miami Dolphins
2021 Stats: 263-of-388 (67.8 CMP%), 2,653 yards, 16 TD, 10 INT, 42 rushes, 128 yards, 3 TD
One of two former Alabama Football quarterbacks in the AFC East, Tagovailoa enters his third NFL season in 2022, one in which he is cemented as the starting quarterback for the Miami Dolphins.
When looking at the 2022 season for Tagovailoa as well, the former Crimson Tide star could be set for a big breakout campaign in Miami, especially after the Dolphins added one of the NFL’s top wide receivers during the offseason in Tyreek Hill. Assuming he stays healthy as well, expect that breakout season to happen for Tagovailoa in 2022, with career-high’s likely to happen in both passing yards and touchdowns.