NFL Draft 2012: Miami Dolphins Must Trade Up to Snag Ryan Tannehill at No. 3

Ryan Tannehill may or may not fall to No. 8 in this year's NFL draft, but that's not a risk the Dolphins should be willing to take.

Miami needs to get him, even if it means trading its No. 8 pick plus its second- and third-round picks for Minnesota's third overall selection.

Miami's prime competition for Tannehill is likely to be Cleveland, which has the fourth overall pick. The Browns need to shore up in a variety of areas—wide receiver, running back and quarterback being the items atop their wish list.

The Dolphins need help in a lot of areas too, but first and foremost, they need a quarterback. They need a long-term solution, and David Garrard isn't someone who's going to fill that hole.

Last season, the Dolphins finished fourth in the AFC East at 6-10. Given how tough their division is, they need a quarterback they can build a team around. Both New England and New York have offenses that are crafted around two very solid quarterbacks, and Miami—which utilized Matt Moore, Chad Henne and J.P. Losman in 2011—lacks that stability it needs to truly compete with the beasts of the East.

Though they recently signed Garrard to a one-year deal, he is not the Dolphins' quarterback of the future. Tannehill may not be able start out of the gate and could need some time to develop behind a veteran presence, but he can take over for the long haul.

And if the Browns, by some twist of fate, do decide to go with Tannehill instead of running back Trent Richardson or wide receiver Justin Blackmon, the Dolphins will be left with very few viable options.

They need to make sure that doesn't happen. They need to get the Vikings' No. 3 pick. Even if the Browns don't take Tannehill, the Dolphins can't bank on him falling to No. 8 because another team might swoop in and make a trade to move up and select him.

Tannehill represents the Dolphins' best chance, at the moment, of getting a quarterback who can offer longevity and a lot of upside. Though he transitioned from wide receiver to quarterback and thus only had 19 starts at the position in college, he has the kind of intangibles that have scouts drooling over him.

Tannehill's story is an unorthodox one: He transitioned from quarterback to wide receiver during his redshirt freshman season at Texas A&M but continued to sit in on quarterback meetings. Then, seven games into the 2010 season, he replaced starter Jerrod Johnson at quarterback and won his first five starts.

In his 19 total starts, Tannehill registered 3,744 passing yards and 29 touchdowns for a QB rating of 133.18.

There are concerns about Tannehill's ability to lead an NFL offense—though he's shown proficiency in some clutch situations, his team blew four double-digit halftime leads in 2011—he is Miami's best option right now.

The trade makes lots of sense for the Dolphins, but it makes even more sense for the Vikings. They need a left tackle above all else, and they are bound to be able to get either Matt Kalil or Riley Reiff at No. 8.

The majority of mock drafts have Tannehill falling to the Dolphins, but on draft day, anything could happen. The Dolphins need to ensure that anything doesn't happen and that the outcome they want does.