After the college season ended in January, NFL personnel types pegged Ryan Tannehill as a late first/early second-round pick. On Thursday, the Dolphins selected him eighth overall. Miami had an obvious need for a franchise quarterback (they haven't had one since selected Dan Marino way back in 1983), and in Tannehill they have a player short on experience (only 19 career starts) but long on raw ability and athleticism.
In a perfect world, Tannehill would spend the first year or two of his professional career on the bench learning the nuances of an NFL offense. The team has Matt Moore and David Garrard, two quarterbacks better suited for backup roles but who could capably lead the offense until Tannehill is ready. General manager Jeff Ireland has been under intense scrutiny for his personnel decisions and this should assuage some of those concerns, even if we won't know how could Tannehill will be for several more years.
Follow every pick of the 2012 NFL Draft with the CBSSports.com Draft Tracker.
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