Why the Redskins should draft Ryan Tannehill over Robert Griffin III

Ok this may sound crazy, but I think that the Washington Redskins should pick Ryan Tannehill over Robert Griffin III.

Before you crucify me hear me out.

Ryan Tannehill is not ready to be an NFL quarterback by any stretch of the imagination, he has not played enough and his accuracy is mediocre at best. On the other hand reigning Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III  is an incredibly accurate quarterback who is an athlete beyond compare in this class of quarterbacks.

And yet, I still think that the Redskins should take Tannehill. But why?

Potential.

It's a scary word when it comes to evaluation, no matter the amount of potential there is no guarantee on a player, especially a QB. But it can also be a godsend, ask Tom Brady, he had a ton of potential but was never appreciated for it and became an after thought in the NFL Draft.

If you look at all the quarterbacks in the draft, excluding Andrew Luck of course, there is no one who has a higher ceiling than the Texas A&M quarterback. RGIII is an incredible player, and comes into the NFL ready to play and be a star, but he doesn't have very much room for growth. He has a very Donavon McNabb style of play, a quarterback who can run but doesn't rely on it and has an underrated ability to throw the ball.

Tannehill reminds me of another hall of fame (assuming McNabb gets in) quarterback. John Elway. Again hold on, take a deep breath, now go look up Elway's college stats, especially during his senior year. The biggest argument against Tannehill is his record in college, 12-7 as a starter, but what was Elway's record? If you said 20-23, you would be correct. Oh and look at his stats, pretty close to Tannehill's, accounting for inflation due to the era they played in.

They play a similar style too. Both are incredibly physical players with the ability to run if needed, but both keep a calm head under pressure and have overly strong arms. These styles are not unique to these two players, JaMarcus Russell for instance had a similar playing style and we all know how that worked out, but the comparisons between Elway and Tannehill cannot be ignored.

Now don't get me wrong, in no way am I saying that Ryan Tannehill will ever play near the level of John Elway. What I am saying is that under Mike Shanahan, who had a pretty good run with Elway too mind you, Tannehill can develop into a top tier quarterback.

I know that it will never happen, and I would probably pick Robert Griffin III with the 2nd overall pick as well, all I am saying is that down the road we could be looking back at this draft and asking why. Why did the Redskins skip on Tannehill? Why did they pick RGIII? Is this footballs Sam Bowie?

I think that RGIII will have a marvelous career so take these things with a grain of salt. But I think that if handled correctly he will be outshone by Ryan Tannehill.

Only time will tell.