2012 NFL Draft | Analyzing Where Ryan Tannehill Gets Drafted
The most talked about quarterback in regards to the 2012 NFL Draft over the past week isn’t Stanford’s Andrew Luck or Baylor’s Robert Griffin III.
It’s Texas A&M’s Ryan Tannehill.
Tannehill has continued to impress NFL teams over the past few weeks, and many draft experts and scouts believe he’s become a top ten pick. At Texas A&M’s pro day, Tannehill completed 65 of 68 passes, with two of those incompletions being drops.
NFL Network’s Mike Mayock and ESPN’s Todd McShay both had high praise for the 23-year-old quarterback, and believe he can become a franchise quarterback.
“He’s not ready to play Day One,” says Mayock, “but to me, he’s a franchise quarterback, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him go at No. 4 and maybe even [No.] 3 [in a trade].”
“He’s not [Griffin] or Andrew Luck, but he’s a notch below,” McShay believes. “He’s certainly better than all of those other quarterbacks. He belongs in the top ten.”
But where will Tannehill go in the top ten?
The Cleveland Browns, Kansas City Chiefs, Miami Dolphins and Philadelphia Eagles are all reportedly in the mix for Tannehill. Though Sports Illustrated’s Peter King reports that Tannehill will have a private workout for both the Chiefs and Eagles, the Browns and Dolphins appear to be the most likely destinations for him. I’ve already speculated on the Browns taking Tannehill regardless that the front office is “fine” with Colt McCoy. As for the Dolphins, new offensive coordinator Mike Sherman–Tannehill’s head coach at Texas A&M–could help sway their decision to draft him due to familiarity.
Luck and Griffin are expected to be the top two picks in the draft, picked by the Indianapolis Colts and Washington Redskins, respectively. With USC offensive tackle Matt Kalil expected to go No. 3 to the Minnesota Vikings, the Browns at No. 4 would have the first crack at drafting Tannehill, provided no team trades the Vikings for the No. 3 pick. Next up would be the Dolphins at No. 8, the Chiefs at No. 11 and the Eagles at No. 15.
It doesn’t make much sense why the Chiefs and Eagles would want Tannehill since they both already have viable starters in Matt Cassel and Michael Vick, respectively. “I really don’t know why,” answered Tannehill in regards to why the Eagles would want him. “I’ll just get ready to throw for them and do my best.” He also has a private workout scheduled with the Browns in Cleveland before the draft.
While the Chiefs and Eagles have starters, the Browns and Dolphins really don’t. The Browns are doing one thing (pursuing Tannehill) and saying another (stating confidence in McCoy) that makes it more likely they will draft him. The Dolphins have already missed out on a franchise quarterback by failing to get Peyton Manning or Matt Flynn, and drafting Tannehill–who would presumably start there immediately–fills that void.
Now the Vikings could use this recent rise in Tannehill’s draft stock as a way to trade the No. 3 pick for multiple picks, and could warrant a deal similar to what the St. Louis Rams got from the Redskins for the No. 2 pick and the rights to Griffin. In that trade, the Rams received three first-round picks and a second-round pick. If the Browns appear more and more likely to take Tannehill at No. 4 as the draft approaches, and if the Vikings are comfortable with losing and/or receiving an offer they can’t refuse for the No. 3 pick, they could really have a lot of leverage in trade talks.
With the draft less than a month away, it will be very interesting to see how this all plays out, and if a team does in fact trade the Vikings for the No. 3 pick. If not, the Browns and Dolphins are presumably going to draft him. But the business side of the NFL is a crazy world, and you never know exactly what will happen.
Luck and Griffin are a lock to go No. 1 and No. 2 overall, and because of that, Tannehill has become the draft’s newest hot commodity.
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