Texas A&M senior quarterback Ryan Tannehill continued his rapid ascent up NFL draft charts on Thursday morning, completing 65 of his attempted 68 passes and clocking an unofficial 4.61 40-yard dash for his pro day.
“Ryan did a phenomenal job,” said Jeff Fuller, senior wide receiver, who served as one of Tannehill’s four pass catchers for the workout. “He’s precise. I’ve been working out with him leading up to today, and his timing was good.”
After a 7-6 season that failed to meet preseason expectations and sustaining a broken metatarsal while participating in a passing drill in January, Tannehill’s pro day performance presented the first opportunity for NFL scouts and media to see the Spring, Texas, native in action since leading the Aggies to a 33-22 victory over Northwestern in the Meineke Car Care Bowl.
“I felt good,” Tannehill said. “The foot felt great moving around in the pocket, escaping. The ball was coming out good, guys were making plays for me, so it was a good day.”
Tannehill began the exhibition with a 40-yard dash and, after running in the high 4.5s/low 4.6s, opted not to sprint a second time. For comparison’s sake, Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck, considered by many pundits to be the draft’s top signal caller, ran a 4.67 during the NFL combine back in February.
The most accurate quarterback in school history then moved to the 30-yard line, where he threw a number of curls, slants and posts that showcased the precision and zip that’s made him the most desirable Aggie in this year’s class. He then tossed 15 passes at the goal line and moved around the pocket following the directions of former NFL quarterback Chris Weinke, who presided over the throwing portion of the pro day.
Pat Dye, agent with Sports Trust Advisors and Tannehill’s chosen representative, said his client possesses all the requisite tools to be a franchise quarterback — for his impressive measurable, of course, but also because of the intangibles that separate the good and the great.
“I think you start with the character and the core values: focus, intelligence, commitment,” Dye said. “He wants to be great and works his butt off. And when you get back onto the field, the athleticism is just off the charts. The guy’s 6’4”, 220, and ran in the 4.5s today. And you saw the way he threw the football.”
Dye said that NFL teams were more than willing to wait for Tannehill’s injury to heal because of his immense potential — remember, Tannehill spent the majority of his time in maroon catching passes, not throwing them, and teams view him as an athletic and cerebral player who still has room to grow at the quarterback position.
“I kidded him and said, ‘You’re the only guy I know who could break his foot and shoot up the charts,’ because, literally, he was projected in the mid-to-late twenties when this whole postseason started,” Dye said. “I think people have gone back in and looked at the tape and looked at the throws he made and recognized that he’s only started 19 games.
“The draft is so much about potential, and you see teams drafting guys a lot of times maybe ahead of where they should be based on potential,” Dye said. “And then you throw in the dynamic of being a quarterback and how hard franchise quarterbacks are to find … there’s a magnet up there at the top. It wouldn’t shock me if the guys come off 1, 2, 3.”
Dye was referring to Luck, Baylor’s Robert Griffin III, and Tannehill, which would place him with the Minnesota Vikings at No. 3. Personnel from 21 NFL teams including Cleveland Browns’ offensive coordinator, Brad Childress, Seattle Seahawks head coach, Pete Carroll, and Miami Dolphins’ general manager, Jeff Ireland, made the trip to College Station.
Mike Sherman, Tannehill’s head coach while at Texas A&M, accepted the Dolphin’s offensive coordinator position after being fired following the 2011 season. Most sources slate Tannehill in the top-10, although a team with a quarterback need like the Browns could logically pick the Texan gunslinger at No. 4 overall.
“You can’t control where you’re going to get taken or who’s going to take you or what teams are going to be here,” Tannehill said. “You just try to go out and do your best and prepare for this day, and when this day comes, just let it rip. I think I did that, and now it’ll be an exciting next month up until the draft.”