2012 NFL Draft: Why Jim Irsay Is Right About Ryan Tannehill Rising to No. 3

Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay has never been shy about using his Twitter account and is often annoying with it. But on Wednesday he tweeted that anyone who wanted to draft Texas A&M quarterback Ryan Tannehill would have to trade up to the No. 3 spot to get him.

Irsay is right, Tannehill is a "hidden gem" in this draft and after a fantastic pro day workout, he has been shooting up draft boards. We all know that Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck will most likely be the first player taken and Baylor signal-caller Robert Griffin III will be the favored second pick, so if a team wants a franchise-type quarterback, they will probably have to trade up to No. 3 to get him.

The Minnesota Vikings currently own the third pick and if things remain as they currently stand I can't see them passing up USC offensive tackle Matt Kalil with that selection. But if a team has fallen in love with Tannehill's potential, it might be willing to offer enough to convince the Vikings to move out of that slot.

Tannehill has an incredibly high ceiling, the only drawback is just how raw he is. He played just a year-and-a-half at quarterback while at Texas A&M after converting over from wide receiver. He made just 19 collegiate starts, but showed such an outstanding feel for the position that he has vaulted himself safely into the top 10 of this year's draft.

The 23-year-old Tannehill has good arm strength and accuracy, and at 6'4" and 221 pounds has the kind of size teams look for in a franchise quarterback. Basically, he has all the tools you would want, plus great intangibles, the only problem is his inexperience. 

During his senior year at Texas A&M, Tannehill completed 61.6 percent of his passes for 3,744 yards, with 29 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. Considering he was in his first full year as a collegiate quarterback, that is a very solid year.

If no one trades up to No. 3, I think Tannehill will fall to the Miami Dolphins at No. 8. But there are a lot of teams in need of a long-term solution at quarterback who might be willing to jump up to No. 3 and grab him.

Irsay is right, Tannehill is a hidden gem who could be worth the price it will take to move up and get him at No. 3.