Here’s the best analysis I can currently offer on Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill: Given his positional history at Texas A&M, he might be the best-equipped NFL player ever to pull off the backyard throw-a-pass-to-yourself move that has flummoxed little brothers for generations.
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| Lauren Tannehill has arrived as the new queen of Miami. (Steve Mitchell/US Presswire) |
Also: His wife is intensely attractive.
It says plenty about the human condition that the biggest buzz topic during the first round of the NFL draft wasn’t about Andrew Luck, RG3, Ryan Tannehill or John Clayton’s phantom ponytail.
Instead, it was Lauren Tannehill, who rattled Twitter with her appearance in the green room, and later on stage, at Radio City Music Hall.
According to The Miami Herald, there were over 800 tweets about Lauren in the 10 minutes after her husband was drafted. That was just the starting point.
(This probably explains why 68 percent of men watching the draft had Chris DeBurgh’s “Lady In Red” stuck in their head for the next three days.)
Mrs. Tannehill is pretty and young and impossibly blonde. I suspect this is part of the reason Ryan — a soon-to-be filthy rich professional athlete — turned in his bachelor card at the tender age of 23. To quote Michael Bluth: “You gotta lock that down.”
In fact, Tannehill himself was quite candid when asked why he married at a young age.
“Can you blame me?,” he replied.
Look no further than NFL.com to understand Mrs. Tannehill’s accidental grasp on the zeitgeist. A photo gallery featuring Tannehill as the cover image is by far the most trafficked piece of content on the site this week. We’re essentially Laurenfl.com at this point. There’s no fighting it.
As any intrepid modern journalist would do, I reached out to Mrs. Tannehill on Twitter to ask about her sudden fame. I cared not that I was one of thousands of men trying to reach her, knowing my intentions were both noble and chivalrous. In other words, I’m not a creep.
Lauren has yet to respond, which is understandable. When life is moving this fast, who has time to sit back and try to make any sense of it?
National Football Post: The Colts land the top QB prospect and top overall prospect. Luck possesses the skills to not only mature into a franchise quarterback, but potentially one of the best in the league. He will make everyone around him better and put his team in position for a number of Super Bowls. NFL ceiling: Future All Pro and Super Bowl winning QB. NFL floor: Solid franchise quarterback.
National Football Post: Washington had to pay a pretty penny, but it got its QB of the future. RG3 is an ideal fit for Washington’s offense with his ability to be effective in the boot-action game and create big plays down the field with his arm and legs outside the pocket. NFL ceiling: Effective starter with some Pro Bowls along the way. NFL Floor: Turnover prone, below average starter.
National Football Post: The shelf life of a RB is short, but Trent Richardson has the ability to be a Pro Bowl back from Day 1. He’s a powerful, downhill runner with the short-area quickness to make a man miss and create space in the open field. Should be a big help to the Browns immediately. NFL ceiling: Top five-player at his position. NFL floor: Solid starter.
National Football Post: The Vikings did a nice job moving back one spot and still getting their guy. Kalil isn’t an elite prospect and needs to get stronger. However, he’s got the frame to do so and is a “plus” lateral athlete for the position. He should be able to anchor the blind side from Day 1 and mature into one of the leagues best. NFL ceiling: Future Pro Bowl-type tackle. NFL floor: Average left tackle you can win with.
National Football Post: Credit to the Jaguars for moving up in the draft and landing the top talent at WR. The Oklahoma State standout has the ability to beat press coverage and make plays in the three-step game. However, as much as I like Jacksonville’s aggressiveness, they would have been better served to take the more talented prospect in CB Morris Claiborne. NFL Ceiling: Anquan Boldin-type wideout. NFL floor: Michael Crabtree-type wideout.
National Football Post: Not only does LSU CB Morris Claiborne fill a major void in the Dallas secondary, but the Cowboys might have landed the best prospect in the draft outside of Andrew Luck. Claiborne has true shutdown potential and should mature into one of the leagues best. Major props to the Cowboys for seeing a blue-chip prospect like Claiborne falling and going up and getting the best value in the top 10. NFL ceiling: Shutdown corner. NFL floor: Above-average coverman.
National Football Post: Barron is one of the safest prospects in the draft and can quarterback Tampa Bay’s defense. However, he doesn’t have elite range to be a “plus” ballhawk in the deep half and can be vulnerable when asked to turn and run. He’s the top player at the position in this year’s draft, but I don’t think he’s a prospect who warrants a top-10 selection. NFL ceiling: “Plus” starter. NFL floor: Average starter.
National Football Post: Tannehill is a franchise QB. He can make all the throws, is a “plus” athlete and is only starting to scratch the surface of his potential. He needs to do a better job deciphering information. With time he could mature into one of the league’s top signal-callers. NFL ceiling: Top-five quarterback. NFL floor: Inconsistent starter.
National Football Post: Kuechly is one of the safest prospects in this year’s draft but I have a hard time believing a linebacker that doesn’t rush the passer is worth a top-10 pick. The Panthers have a lot of needs inside at defensive tackle and, despite the production Kuechly will likely give from Day 1, Carolina could have still received the same type of production in Round 2 at MLB and drafted a more impact-caliber guy at No. 9. NFL ceiling: Pro Bowl middle linebacker. NFL floor: James Laurinaitis.
National Football Post: Gilmore is an interesting prospect because of his ability to turn and run, tackle in the run game and his upside as a press corner. However, he’s raw with his footwork and needs development. I thought Gilmore was more of a late first- early second-round type who was an ideal fit for more of a zone scheme. He could end up struggling in the NFL as a man-to-man corner. NFL ceiling: Top zone corner. NFL floor: Inconsistent starting man-to-man corner.
National Football Post: Physically and athletically Poe has the skills to be one of the NFL’s best. He possesses a massive frame, can bend, get off the football and threaten gaps inside. He needs to do a better job playing lower and keeping his motor running, as he never made tons of plays at Memphis. He has a lot of developing to do, however, he’s one of the few guys in the draft with the skills to anchor a 3-4 front. NFL ceiling: Unlimited. NFL floor: Fringe starter who never figures it out.
National Football Post: The Eagles needed a guy who could create negative plays behind the line of scrimmage and stop plays before they start. Cox is an explosive kid with an excellent get-off burst who knows how to knife his way into the backfield. I have some concerns about his pad level and ability to anchor vs. the run game. However, he can bend, extend his arms well and knows how to fend off blocks. Should be an instant upgrade for the Eagles inside. NFL ceiling: Top-tier penetrating DT. NFL floor: A starter who flashes inside, but is inconsistent vs. the run.
National Football Post: Floyd now gives the Cardinals a pair of big-play threats on the outside who can beat press man and create vertically down the field. Floyd isn’t as dynamic as Larry Fitzgerald. However, but he should be able to work the intermediate pass game well, gain yards after the catch and bolster Arizona’s passing attack. NFL ceiling: Top-15 wideout. NFL floor: Average starting “Z” receiver.
National Football Post: The Rams needed to upgrade the DT position and Brockers has the talent to mature into one of the league’s best. He’s a former 4-star, 255-pound SLB prospect out of high school who has since gained more than 70 pounds and developed into one of the SEC’s top linemen. He needs to mature as a pass rusher, but he has the skills to do so and should be able to anchor the run at a high level early. NFL ceiling: Albert Haynesworth. NFL floor: John Henderson.
National Football Post: Irvin has been one of the NFP’s favorites all year because of his explosive first step and ability to threaten the corner. He played out of position in West Virginia’s 3-3-5 and was not consistently asked to play to his strengths. However, the undersized pass rusher can consistently force quarterbacks to step up in the pocket. He could be one of the premier sack artist to come out of the class. NFL ceiling: Von Miller-type pass rusher. NFL Floor: Exclusive nickel rusher.
National Football Post: Coples is an interesting fit for the Jets because at 6-foot-6, 285 pounds, he’s got the frame to win on the edge as a five-technique vs. the run, as well as add some athleticism to their pass rusher. He’s a smooth, long-armed power player who makes everything look easy and gives the Jets versatility to their defensive front seven, especially on pass downs. NFL ceiling: Julius Peppers. NFL floor: Underachiever who doesn’t live up to his skills.
National Football Post: The Bengals had a need at corner and filled it with the draft’s second-best corner prospect. Kirkpatrick isn’t the most explosive athlete. However, he’s a smooth coverman with the physicality to mature into a solid press corner. But his bread and butter will always be as an zone/Cover 2 type player. Add in the fact he might be the draft’s best tackling corner and he’s a solid value at this stage. NFL ceiling: Top-tier zone corner. NFL floor: Sean Smith (Dolphins) type of corner.
National Football Post: The former RB turned pass rusher has the ability to get after the quarterback a number of ways from a variety of spots. The Chargers will use him more as a stand-up rush linebacker where he can use his combination of power and motor to get after the quarterback. He’s not an elite athlete, but will instantly come in and make an impact up front. NFL ceiling: 8-10 sacks a year. NFL floor: 4-6 sacks a year.
National Football Post: McClellin hasn’t received much pub as a potential top-20 pick. However, he’s a high motor guy who can threaten the edge and is at his best as a pass rusher working from a two-point stance. He possesses a “plus” pass rushing arsenal, can play with leverage and power, and should be an instant help to the Bears’ pass rush. NFL ceiling: Explosive edge rusher with 10-12 sack potential. NFL floor: Nickel rusher.
National Football Post: Despite his less than impressive 40 time at the combine, Wright plays as fast as any wideout in the draft. He can take the top off a defense and create big plays both from the slot and on the perimeter. He gives the Titans a big-time vertical threat and shouldn’t have any problems improving the offense from Day 1. NFL ceiling: Mike Wallace-type player. NFL floor: Vertical slot guy.
National Football Post: Jones looks the part. He’s a long-armed lineman who can play with power and shed contact. However, I don’t see an explosive lineman off the football who can threaten the edge and drop his shoulder around the corner. There is a lot of upside to his game and if anyone can get him to live up to his talents it’s New England, but he might need some time. NFL ceiling: A dominant pass rushing force who can win with power, length and quickness. NFL floor: Can be an effective starter, but always leaves you wanting more.
National Football Post: The Browns get their franchise signal-caller in Weeden, who has the skills to compete for the starting role from Day 1. He displays nice touch down the field and can throw to receivers open in the intermediate pass game. He must improve his overall feel from the pocket to mature into a big-time starting QB. NFL ceiling: top-15 signal-caller. NFL floor: “Plus” reserve.
National Football Post: Reiff is a former TE recruit out of high school who has made the move to offensive tackle and possesses the athleticism needed to win in both the run and pass game. He’s got natural range off the edge and can slide laterally, but needs to mature as a power player. Nevertheless, he’s a “plus” run blocker who understands angles and should be able to play either inside or out at the next level. NFL ceiling: Above-average NFL left tackle. NFL floor: Solid right tackle or guard.
National Football Post: If you want the steal of the draft, I think that award goes to the Steelers landing DeCastro at this spot. DeCastro can come in an play at a high level from Day 1 and should mature into one of the league’s best. NFL ceiling: Consistent All-Pro caliber guard. NFL floor: Above-average starting guard.
National Football Post: It will be interesting to see how the Patriots use Hightower because he’s got the versatility to play both inside and out in 3-4 or 4-3 fronts. He’s a downhill guy who has a lot of natural pop on contact and can be effective as a pass rusher with his hand on the ground. He can line up all over the defense and attack the passer from a number of spots. NFL ceiling: Versatile Pro Bowl-caliber backer. NFL floor: Mismatch piece on third down.
National Football Post: Not a fan of this pick for the fact that Mercilus is too stiff to stand up and be overly effective rushing off the edge as a 3-4 linebacker. The Texans already have a solid pair of OLBs in Connor Barwin and Brooks Reed. Mercilus doesn’t offer them much of an upgrade over either. NFL ceiling: Solid NFL contributing OLB. NFL floor: Never transitions to the rush linebacker position in 3-4.
National Football Post: There isn’t too much of a downside with this pick. He’s a big, strong Wisconsin offensive lineman who plays hard, understands leverage and can hold up in the pass game. Zeitler isn’t the most quick-footed or explosive athlete laterally, however, when he gets his hands on defenders he can lock out and should start early on for the Bengals. NFL ceiling: An above-average lineman with some Pro Bowl potential. NFL floor: Just a solid lunch pail lineman you can win with.
National Football Post: The Packers needed to improve their pass rush and Perry has the first step and explosion to reach the edge and create pressure from that spot. He’s a little stiff-hipped, but knows how to use his hands to fight off contact and runs well sideline to sideline. He’s good value for the Packers at the end of Round 1. NFL ceiling: 10-sack a year pass rusher. NFL floor: Never transitions cleanly to OLB and forced to catch on in a 4-3 front.
National Football Post: The Vikings moved up and made a reach. Smith can be a solid safety, but I don’t see an impact guy. He’s tight in the hips, doesn’t get up to speed quickly and will struggle to matchup in coverage at times. He’s a “plus” tackler, but I think the Vikings paid way too much. NFL ceiling: Above-average starting safety. NFL floor: Top-tier reserve.
National Football Post: Jenkins has the skills to mature into a starter and be a vertical threat. However, there were better prospects on the board and the Niners reached on a guy who didn’t warrant a first-round grade. NFL ceiling: Above-average vertical threat. NFL floor: Sub package wideout.
National Football Post: There isn’t too much Martin can’t do. He’s a physical runner with good vision inside and has enough short-area quickness to make a man miss and create at the second level. He should compete right away for the No. 1 job and looks like the future starter there. NFL ceiling: Top-10 running back in the Matt Forte mold. NFL floor: “Plus” No. 2 back.
National Football Post: Wilson can be dynamic in the open field. He possesses elite speed, makes defenders miss and accelerates well out of his breaks. He needs to do a better job taking what the defense gives him between the tackles. Can be the home-run threat the Giants lack at RB. NFL ceiling: Dynamic starter with big-play potential. NFL floor: Explosive No. 2.