Ryan Tannehill 2012 NFL Draft Scouting Report

Ryan Tannehill

6'4", 222 pounds | Quarterback | Texas A&M

Accuracy: Not elite, but good enough to make it at the next level. Significantly better on short to intermediate routes than deep routes. Does a good job placing the ball where only the receiver can catch it. Very accurate throwing on the run.

Arm Strength: Again not elite, but he has enough of an arm to make all the throws he'll be asked to make in the NFL. Can allow deep throws to hang in the air, which forces the receiver to slow down to come back for the ball. He can zip a ball in there on short to intermediate routes when he needs to, but knows how to take something off.

Decision Making: Like a lot of athletic quarterbacks, Tannehill will need to work on making the decision to throw the ball away. He can fall into the trap of trusting his legs too much to extend the play, but he needs to know that pressure is coming. When that internal clock goes off, he has to make a decision to tuck it and run, or throw it away. Can also trust his pre-snap read too much, meaning he can lock on to a single target rather than checking through his progressions. But these are things that come with experience of playing the quarterback position.

Field Vision: As I said in the decision making section, he does have a bad habit of locking on to one target and waiting for him to get open. But in general he does a good job of checking through his progressions. Unlike a lot of college guys, Tannehill does have multiple reads per play that he can make.

Mechanics: Generally sound, however he can lose his release point on occasion, meaning the ball can come out at different angles. However, I'd put this down again to inexperience and lack of repetitions at the quarterback position. I do like that he is able to adjust his release point though. In the NFL you don't always have the chance to use perfect mechanics. Sometimes you have to throw off-balance or slightly more side-armed, and Tannehill can do that. He has a quick and fairly efficient release, but like all quarterbacks, can use with some fine-tuning. Takes snaps from under center, his overall footwork when dropping back is fine.

Pocket Awareness: Despite his athletic ability and history as a former wide receiver, Tannehill is a pass first quarterback. He shows a willingness to step up in the pocket to avoid a pass rush. He senses pressure well and knows when to leave the pocket. As I mentioned earlier, his problem arises when he trusts his legs too much. Makes pre-snap reads and gets a solid idea where the pressure is coming from.

Final Word: His lack of experience playing the quarterback in college makes him more of a raw prospect than most. That being said, I believe he's further along than most people believe. I'm not saying he'll necessarily be a day one starter, but I'd expect him to be challenging for the starting spot by mid-season of his rookie year (depending on who he's drafted by).

One of the best ways for me to describe him is; there's not a lot of things Tannehill can't do. He should excel in a west coast offense that includes short and intermediate timing routes when dropping back from under center; and a lot of play-action passes that involve roll-outs and bootlegs which get Tannehill on the move and make the most of his athleticism. He has a natural ability to extend the play, which not many other quarterbacks have coming out of college.

If you can pair him up with a head coach that knows how to develop quarterbacks, an Andy Reid or a Mike Shanahan for example, I believe he could be a top 15 quarterback in the NFL.