The conventional wisdom among folks comparing all of the quarterbacks drafted in the first round was that Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill had the highest hill to climb to be a starter in the NFL. However, looking at his statistics from his first preseason game, Tannehill may not have as high a hill to climb as was once thought.
Tannehill went 14-for-21 for 167 yards and a touchdown against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Compare that to other first-round quarterbacks: Cleveland Browns quarterback Brandon Weeden completed 3-of-9 for 67 yards and an interception. Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III went 4-for-6 for 70 yards and a touchdown. Indianapolis Colts' first-overall pick Andrew Luck went 10-for-16 for 188 yards and two touchdowns.
Granted, Tannehill came into the game off the bench and his numbers were put up against reserves. But Tannehill could be given a chance to see what he can do against a first-team defense soon. That opportunity should come against the Carolina Panthers on Friday night. It is still early enough in the preseason for him to show he could do fairly well.
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