Ryan Tannehill: Dolphins' Top-10 Reach Isn't as Bad as You Think

There's no question that the Miami Dolphins reached by taking Ryan Tannehill with the eighth pick in the 2012 NFL draft, but it's not nearly as bad a pick as you might think. 

Tannehill certainly lacks experience, as he only started 19 games in college as a quarterback. What's more, he threw plenty of interceptions and really had trouble taking care of the ball.

There. Those are the negatives on Tannehill. That's it. 

The former Aggie certainly has his downfalls, and I tend to agree he didn't deserve to skyrocket into the top 10 like he did, but if you're the Dolphins and he is your guy, why not take him when you are slotted to pick?

Miami seriously needs a quarterback for the future. The NFL is increasingly becoming a passer's league, and if you don't have an elite QB, you aren't going to compete.

It's as simple as that.

The Dolphins struck out with Peyton Manning and Matt Flynn in free agency, so the only way to get a quarterback this year would be through the draft.

And, again, they fell in love with Tannehill, so why not grab him?

Who cares if he is a little bit of a reach? If he was slotted at No. 8 in most mock drafts during the college football season, no one would hate this pick as much as they do. 

Who cares when or why he moves up draft boards? The fact of the matter is, he impressed a lot of people and he's worthy of a first-round choice.

It's not like Tannehill is some scrub who can't play football. 

The former wide receiver, much like Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III, is extremely athletic and has a huge arm.

He can hit the long ball, but he also has good accuracy. Combine that with his good mechanics, solid field vision, and willingness to work hard, and you have what looks and sounds every bit like a first-round prospect.

Throw in Tannehill's skills as a versatile athlete, and he's someone who could conceivably stay on the field and play in the wildcat. 

Tannehill has a high football IQ, he is smart, versatile, athletic and, most importantly, he has a chip on his shoulder. It may just be me, but it appears that his strengths far outweigh his weaknesses.

The Dolphins already have Matt Moore, who has been serviceable, so Tannehill doesn't necessarily have to come in and start right away.

It's certainly tough to spend a top-10 pick on a player who won't play right away, but that immediately takes away the fear of him being inexperienced. 

Tannehill will continue to draw tons of criticism just because his stock rose so quickly in so little of a time period. 

But it's not like this guy can't play football. He's coming into the right situation to have success. Everyone already hates him and has already written him off, but don't be surprised if Ryan Tannehill quietly proves everyone wrong.