NFL Draft 2012: Dolphins Must Draft Ryan Tannehill for His Massive Upside

Ryan Tannehill probably won't be the starting quarterback for the Miami Dolphins in 2012, but who cares?

That's not why the Dolphins should draft him with their first-round pick at No. 8 overall this year.

Tannehill represents the future—a relatively inexperienced collegiate quarterback with all the moldable tools to become a fine NFL signal-caller.

Look at the quarterbacks currently with the Dolphins.

Matt Moore, David Garrard and Pat Devlin.

Moore's a fine stop-gap option, but at 27 years old and with 35 career games played, it's likely that we've seen everything there is to see.

He's a respectable quarterback, but not a franchise guy.

Meanwhile, Garrard was an above average QB in his day, but he's 34 and undoubtedly doesn't feature in the team's long-term plans. 

Devlin was an undrafted free-agent pickup out of Delaware who possess potential. Still, he's light-years away from becoming a competent quarterback.

Tannehill will need time. Most importantly, he will also need sound coaching.

However, his youth, deceptive athleticism, solid arm strength and decent accuracy trump all three of the Dolphins' current quarterbacks. 

If I'm reaching on any position in Round 1, it's at QB. 

Sure, there's a chance he'll flop. That's a risk you take when selecting a quarterback in the first round. Either way, to succeed in the NFL, you need a productive quarterback and Tannehill can become that guy. 

He probably won't become that guy in his first year, and maybe won't in his second year. The fact is, in the past, we've seen signal-callers with lesser NFL-level skill play well and accomplish more earlier in their careers than we initially expected. 

Tannehill's raw, and that goes against the grain as to what we expect from a first-round pick, especially a top-half prospect.

Teams typically want high-impact, game-changing players who can contribute from the moment they step on a professional field. 

In this case, the Miami Dolphins can't worry about the fact that he may not have a significant role on the team in 2012.

His upside is tremendous and he can be what they desperately need—a franchise quarterback.

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