Ryan Tannehill Will Prove Haters Wrong with Miami Dolphins

Ryan Tannehill has a lot of doubters after the Miami Dolphins drafted him with the No. 8 pick in the 2012 NFL draft, and I think he will eventually prove them all wrong. 

Tannehill is inexperienced, having only made 19 starts at quarterback during his time at Texas A&M. But he has all the physical tools teams look for in a franchise quarterback.

At 6'4" and 222 pounds, he has elite size and his arm strength and accuracy have both greatly improved as he has become more polished as a passer. They should get even better as he gains more experience under center.

He looked great throwing on the run, and he is far more accurate than stats reflect (61.6 percent completions in 2011) because his receivers dropped so many balls last season. In fact, the Dolphins reportedly counted 70 drops by the Aggies in 2011 during their film review of Tannehill's season.

The Texas A&M product also has the mental toughness and acuity to rapidly progress at the NFL level, even if he's not the opening day starter in Miami in 2012. 

The Dolphins are almost certain to sit Tannehill on the bench for a year as head coach Joe Philbin and offensive coordinator Mike Sherman work on his game. But the kid's raw skills are so great and his upside is so high that Miami had to make this pick. 

In last year's draft, quarterbacks Jake Locker (No. 8), Blaine Gabbert (No. 10) and Christian Ponder (No. 12) all came off the board in the same range Tannehill did. You would have a hard time convincing me that any of those guys is more likely to reach his ceiling than Tannehill, as his upside is much greater than any of them.

A lot of people are hating on Ryan Tannehill right now, and I think he has the ability to prove them all wrong.