2012 NFL Draft: Will Ryan Tannehill Crack the Top 15?

Texas A&M quarterback Ryan Tannehill is expected to be the third quarterback selected in the 2012 NFL draft. If things fall the right way, he could come off the board in the top half of the first round. 

We all know that the Indianapolis Colts will take Stanford's Andrew Luck with the first pick, and the Washington Redskins will take Baylor's Robert Griffin III at No. 2. However, after that, it's anyone's guess where the next quarterback will be taken. 

Tannehill has separated himself from the rest of the pack in the second tier of signal-callers, but just where he will land is up in the air. 

The Miami Dolphins and Cleveland Browns both have needs at the quarterback position, but neither team is likely to snag Tannehill with its first pick in the draft. The Browns have the No. 4 pick, while the Dolphins sit at No. 8. Either spot would be too high for the Texas A&M product despite his incredibly high ceiling.

At 6'4" and 221 pounds, with incredible athleticism, Tannehill has ideal measurables for a franchise quarterback. He also possesses all the intangibles a team wants from a guy under center. The problem is, he has only been playing quarterback full-time for one and a half seasons, after spending most of his career with the Aggies at wide receiver.

Clearly he's not ready to step in right away and will need some seasoning, but Tannehill has as much upside as anyone in this draft not named Andrew Luck. He has good arm strength and developing accuracy, has outstanding mobility and he has shown an incredible learning curve at quarterback. 

Tannehill has yet to work out for scouts during the draft process thanks to a broken bone in his foot that required surgery. He will finally show his stuff during a March 29 pro day. I expect it to be well-attended. 

If he shows even more development on that day, he could move into the top half of the first-round and make himself an even hotter commodity.