Hard Knocks Coverage Showing Ryan Tannehill Was Worth No. 8 Overall Draft Pick

The Miami Dolphins made it known before Tuesday night's episode of Hard Knocks that Ryan Tannehill was their starting quarterback entering the regular season, but it didn't make seeing the process any less rewarding.

Tannehill was one of the 2012 NFL draft's most polarizing names before the Dolphins made him the No. 8 overall selection. He was considered unseasoned coming out of Texas A&M with uncertain long-term potential (h/t Michael David Smith, ProFootballTalk).

We still don't know his value in the long run, but HBO's coverage of Tannehill's first training camp has painted an optimistic picture.

ESPN's Michael Smith weighed in on Twitter with some high praise for the former Aggie:

"

Watching Ryan Tannehill throw on #HardKnocks just now the kid's mechanics kinda reminded me of Drew Bledsoe.

— Michael Smith (@michaelsmith) August 22, 2012"

Bledsoe was a productive quarterback before being replaced by Tom Brady in 2001. Tannehill's critics are not seeing the unseasoned arm. They're seeing a sneaky athlete who improves as he becomes more familiar with the position.

Without Tuesday night's episode, and the two before it, we would still have preseason to judge Tannehill. He's looked great there as well, with two 100-yard games and zero interceptions.

Hard Knocks has increased the exposure on Tannehill. With Chad Johnson out of the picture, a lot of focus is placed on the rookie. He's facing a tall task, and everyone wants to see how he will respond.

Tannehill's meeting with the coaches Tuesday night showed his crowning moment in training camp so far, and the show's coverage continues to show us why the right decisions have been made here.

Miami may not be a playoff team, but they picked the right starter and drafted the right rookie.