Hard Knocks 2012: Dolphins QB Ryan Tannehill Will Benefit from Added Attention

Every time an NFL team accepts an invitation to get featured on the HBO show Hard Knocks, questions are immediately raised about how it will impact the players. In most cases, it doesn't. But it can be a great learning experience for a rookie quarterback like Ryan Tannehill.

The Miami Dolphins drafted Tannehill with the eighth pick in the draft after his impressive final season at Texas A&M. He totaled more than 4,000 yards and accounted for 33 touchdowns, causing his draft stock to skyrocket.

Getting selected early also brings high expectations and plenty of pressure to perform. The Hard Knocks cameras have captured basically the entire process for Tannehill, which has clearly had its fair share of ups and downs starting with his lengthy contract talks.

Being thrust right into the spotlight should pay off in the long run. As a starting quarterback in the NFL, which Tannehill is now after winning the job by showing off his potential terrific throughout training camp, there's no escaping the public eye.

Dolphins fans have endured a steady stream of mediocre quarterbacks in recent years and are expecting Tannehill to finally bring an end to the revolving door by locking down the job for the next decade.

He certainly has the ability to make that happen. He combines underrated athleticism with a great arm and good decision-making skills. Those three things are what every coaching staff looks for when evaluating young quarterbacks.

The one thing he didn't have prior to Hard Knocks, however, was a chance to really learn what it's like to be the center of attention on a daily basis. He was a late bloomer in college, serving as a wide receiver before shifting under center as a junior and breaking out in his final collegiate campaign.

Then during the draft process he was overshadowed by the dynamic duo of Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III, who will likely continue to dominate most of the headlines once the regular season begins.

So Tannehill really headed to South Beach without a true understanding of what it meant to basically be viewed as a franchise savior before throwing a single pass. Having cameras present every step of the way and a show dedicated to your team's preparations accelerated his learning curve in that area.

His numbers have tailed off over the last two preseason games after a preseason debut, but it's important to remember his group of wide receivers is among the least accomplished in the league, which makes his transition even more difficult.

Tannehill's regular season will probably feel like a roller coaster ride, and it shouldn't be a surprise if the struggles outnumber the successes, but his rookie year is more about learning the ropes than anything else.

For most players, especially veterans going through the motions of another training camp, Hard Knocks won't have a positive or negative effect. But over time Tannehill should come to realize how the added attention helped him acclimate to the crazy NFL world.

Now all he was to worry about is making plays with monster defensive ends barring down on him.