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Todd McShay Analyzes Miami Dolphins 2012 Draft First Round Pick Ryan Tannehill

Apr 26, 2012; New York, NY, USA; Ryan Tannehill (Texas A&M) is introduced as the number eight overall pick to the Miami Dolphins in the 2012 NFL Draft at Radio City Music Hall. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-US PRESSWIRE
Apr 26, 2012; New York, NY, USA; Ryan Tannehill (Texas A&M) is introduced as the number eight overall pick to the Miami Dolphins in the 2012 NFL Draft at Radio City Music Hall. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-US PRESSWIRE

Last night, the Miami Dolphins selected quarterback Ryan Tannehill with the eighth overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft. Fan reaction to the pick has been varied, with the biggest dichotomy coming between fans who like having a first round QB and fans unable to justify the eighth pick for a player who won't start Week 1 of the season. And, both sides have ground to stand upon.

But, let's see what ESPN's Todd McShay has to say about the Dolphins' pick. The article is Insider protected, but the write about the Dolphins is below:

What he brings: Tannehill is one of the most talked-about prospects in this draft. On one hand, there are concerns about his lack of experience and his inability to win games late last year. On the other hand, he has all the physical tools and mental toughness teams look for in a starting quarterback. It's also important to point out that he's more accurate than the numbers suggest, because his receivers dropped so many balls last year that it skewed his completion percentage and hindered his ability to win games.

How he fits: This is certainly a pick that seems to make a lot of sense because the Dolphins know everything about this guy with Miami offensive coordinator Mike Sherman as his former head coach at Texas A&M. Tannehill has a tremendous skill set, but there's a lot of room to develop. Under new head coach Joel Philbin, the Dolphins' offense is a version of a West Coast offense with a large variety of formations and personnel packages, much like he ran at Green Bay as offensive coordinator. This is a sophisticated offense that puts a premium on decision-making and reads, and Tannehill just needs time to recognize matchups, see blitzes and learn how to audible at the line of scrimmage. These are all things he can do, that he will likely sit for a good portion of his rookie season and will learn behind Matt Moore or David Garrard. This is not a QB to start from day one.