2012 NFL Draft: Why Ryan Tannehill Is Not a Reach in the Top 10

Ryan Tannehill had only 19 college starts, going 7-6 his senior year. He has been sidelined with a foot injury during the offseason, yet more and more "draftniks" are calling him a potential Top 10-15 pick in the draft. This is mystifying until you take a closer look at Tannehill through the lens of what the NFL cares about in quarterback prospects:

Arm Strength 

There are few success stories of below-average arms becoming above-average after coming to the NFL, like Tom Brady, but arm strength is generally a "you got it or you don't" quality. Tannehill has it, and while his arm strength is not elite, he can make all of the NFL throws. And he trusts it enough to make throws into small windows—which is a must in the NFL.

Pocket Presence 

Tannehill doesn't make terrible decisions under pressure and displays an ability to move within the pocket that is well beyond the typical QB who started just one and a half years in college. He also resets and throws very quickly on the move, and throws as accurately on the move as any QB in this class. Pocket presence was the undoing of Blaine Gabbert, but it will be a strength of Tannehill.

Athleticism

Tannehill was a walk-on as a wide receiver at Texas A&M, with the hope that he could eventually get a shot at playing quarterback. He led the team in receptions in his first two seasons, which clearly shows that he is one of the top athletes at QB in this class.

Coachability

Tannehill will have to learn to read defenses and interpret visual information very quickly. However, any player who gives his all at a position that is not his first choice and patiently waits for his shot should have no problem dedicating himself to the steep learning curve that every QB has to climb upon entering the NFL.

This also shows that Tannehill believes in himself and stays on track regardless of his circumstances, displaying a resilience that will serve him well in the NFL.

Supply and Demand

This is the rug that ties the room together. There aren't 32 starting-quality QBs in the NFL, and every year, teams reach higher and higher in the draft for QBs that exhibit the qualities that make a franchise QB.

Tannehill might only be a second-round pick in terms of absolute value, but because premium QBs will be much scarcer than players at other positions, he compares favorably to Jake Locker and Christian Ponder, who went eighth and 12th in the draft last year.

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