Laremy Tunsil, Dolphins Agree to Contract: Latest Details, Comments and Reaction

The Miami Dolphins officially signed offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil, their first-round selection in the 2016 NFL draft, to a four-year contract, the Dolphins announced on Friday. 

Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald first reported the news. Omar Kelly of the Sun Sentinel confirmed the report.

Tunsil was projected as the potential first overall pick before a series of trades atop the draft order changed the outlook. Still, he remained one of the most talented prospects in the class and seemed like a lock to go somewhere inside the top 10.

Then, he endured one of the most bizarre draft nights in history. Eric Edholm of Yahoo Sports noted that the lineman's Twitter account was hacked, and a video was posted that showed him smoking out of a contraption that combined a gas mask and a bong. Later, after he was drafted, his Instagram page was hacked, and text messages that appeared to show conversations with an Ole Miss official about paying bills were posted.

As a result of the chaos, he was still on the board at No. 13. The Miami Dolphins decided to accept the risk and take him given the potential value.

ESPN's Ed Werder noted Tunsil's contract "contains no unique clauses to protect team based on recent developments."

Adam Schefter of ESPN reported that the Baltimore Ravens would have selected Tunsil with the sixth pick if the video hadn't come out right before the draft. He also provided the estimated loss in contract value:

The twists and turns weren't over quite yet, though. Peter Burke of Local10.com noted that the tackle didn't initially appear at his introductory press conference due to an allergic reaction. He showed up about 90 minutes later after recovering from the ailment, and general manager Chris Grier proceeded to explain the choice.

"We had heard rumors, but we had done work," Grier said. "We had known about it. The video is two years old. So, from all the information we had, we were comfortable with it."

He also pointed out that Tunsil was the No. 2 player on the team's board, making it a surprise to the front office when he remained available all the way down at No. 13.

The Sun Sentinel passed along comments from the lineman, who doesn't want people to make any definitive conclusions about him due to a wacky couple of days.

"Don't question my character. You can't judge a book by its cover," Tunsil said. "I'm a good person, I'm a laid-back guy. I don't do much."

It's also worth noting that Daniel Paulling of the Clarion-Ledger reported last month that Tunsil is the focus of a lawsuit from his stepfather, Lindsey Miller, for an alleged attack and defamation of character. Steve Farese, the lineman's attorney, called the legal action an "unsavory attempt to obtain money."

Tunsil possesses an intriguing combination of size (6'5'', 315 pounds), athleticism and small-area quickness. Those are all the tools a team looks for in a young left tackle. He's coming off a dominant season at the collegiate level as well.

Pro Football Focus highlighted the type of impact he made with Ole Miss:

Looking ahead, the most important thing for Tunsil is staying out of the negative spotlight for awhile. If he's able to prove any issues he may have endured on a personal level in the past are behind him, his draft fall will become nothing more than a footnote.

His role heading into his rookie campaign isn't yet clear. Abramson pointed out that the Dolphins will need to slide either Branden Albert, Ja'Wuan James or Tunsil inside, meaning the rookie could land at left tackle, right tackle or guard.

If his development continues on a positive path, he'll eventually become the team's left tackle, regardless of where he starts his career. Now that his contract situation is all set, he can focus on proving the Dolphins were wise to take a chance on him when others decided to pass.