ESPN.com this afternoon released Mel Kiper's second-to-last mock draft of the 2012 pre-draft season. As most of you already know, Kiper's three previous mock drafts this year had the Miami Dolphins selecting Iowa tackle Riley Reiff. Not so, this time around. Kiper took a cue from fellow ESPN draft puppet Todd McShay and the majority of analysts at NFL Network and slotted Texas A&M quarterback Ryan Tannehill into the Dolphins' selection at No. 8 overall.
Kiper justified the pick by pointing out that Miami "lacks a long-range plan at quarterback," but said he wouldn't endorse Tannehill as someone who can start right out of the box. Kiper notes that Tannehill has an enormously high ceiling and makes sense in a situation where he can develop behind a starter who is already in place, especially considering the rate at which Tannehill developed during his brief time as a starting quarterback for the Aggies.
"Tannehill's already sound mechanics and skill set imply a bright future. The talent isn't in question," Kiper said.
Looks like the Tannehill-to-Dolphins selection is now close to unanimous among draft analysts and experts, eh?