3 Quarterbacks Who Can Get to the Next Level This Year

Ryan Tannehill

After a big contract extension this offseason, Ryan Tannehill has a lot to prove. But I, as well as others like our very own Joseph Juan -- who goes enormously in-depth on Tannehill -- believe he’s more than capable of doing so.

It took Tannehill a couple of years and a new offensive coordinator who fit his style to finally start climbing towards his potential. As an NFL sophomore in 2013, Tannehill was pretty mediocre as far as numberFire metrics were concerned. He had a Passing NEP of -2.44 -- ranking 25th among all quarterbacks -- and a Success Rate of only 44.82 percent.

Enter Bill Lazor in 2014 as the Dolphins new offensive coordinator, and the lightbulb went off for both the Dolphins offense and Tannehill. In his first year under Lazor -- the former Eagles quarterback coach under Chip Kelly -- Tannehill improved dramatically, finishing the 2014 season with a Passing NEP of 46.72 which ranked 16th. Tannehill’s biggest area of improvement came in his Success Rate, which jumped to 50.71 percent and ranked seventh among all quarterbacks.

Tannehill not only improved through the air but also on the ground. Tannehill’s Rushing NEP of 13.42 in 2014 was by far the highest mark in his career. That total was also nearly double either total from his previous two years, even though he rushed only 12 more times than in 2013 and actually had fewer rushes than in 2012. This can undoubtedly be attributed to Lazor’s offense, which utilizes the best athletes in space and gave the former wide receiver from Texas A&M the opportunity to run more read option plays.

Tannehill not only jumped in pure stats but also his efficiency improved dramatically. Now he gets another full offseason under Lazor, as well as improved offensive weapons. Jarvis “Juice” Landry was a pleasant option down the stretch last year and looks to continue that trend. The Dolphins front office was also busy this offseason bringing in talent to surround Tannehill for the future. They signed Jordan Cameron, drafted Louisville wide receiver DeVante Parker and traded for Kenny Stills, who ranked first among all wide receivers in Reception NEP per target in 2014.

Tannehill is set up exceptionally fine for 2015 and beyond and has an outstanding combination of internal talent, supporting talent and scheme to help boost him high into the quarterback ranks.