The Countdown to Kickoff series continues on with a look at Miami Dolphins rookie offensive lineman Laremy Tunsil, who had a less than ideal start to his NFL career.
There are exactly 67 days until the Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers open up the 2016 NFL regular season with a Super Bowl rematch. In the meantime, we at NFL Spin Zone are going to profile a player each day as we countdown the days to kickoff.
The Countdown to Kickoff series began with a look at No. 99 Joey Bosa and has continued on everyday since (check out all of the posts here).
Related Story: 2017 NFL Mock Draft
There were plenty of strong choices to profile at No. 67, including Ryan Kalil, Andy Levitre and Justin Pugh. However, a well-known rookie seemed to be the obvious choice here.
Let’s take a look at Miami Dolphins rookie offensive lineman Laremy Tunsil.
A freak athlete at left tackle with an obvious NFL skill-set, Tunsil entered the 2016 NFL Draft as one of the most talented prospects in the class. He was penciled in to go number one to the Tennessee Titans in many early mock drafts, but the trades up for quarterbacks cemented Tunsil out of the top two.
More from Miami Dolphins
- Miami Dolphins: Jalen Ramsey’s injury not a huge set-back
- Dolphins could turn to other Vic Fangio favorites after Jalen Ramsey injury
- 2023 NFL Season: Evaluation 3 darkhorse MVP candidates
- Vikings to release Cook, Broncos, Dolphins to have interest
- Miami Dolphins: Which Jalen Ramsey will fans see in 2023?
Even with the Los Angeles Rams and Philadelphia Eagles taking quarterbacks with the first two picks, Tunsil still seemed like a fair bet to be taken early. The San Diego Chargers made sense for him at number three, as did the Jacksonville Jaguars at five and Baltimore Ravens at six.
That being said, a nightmare draft night for Tunsil caused him to slip down the board.
We all know the story by now. Right before the Rams went on the clock with the first pick, a video of Tunsil smoking marijuana through a gas mask surfaced on his own Twitter account. The video was quickly deleted, but the damage was done.
It appeared to be someone hacking his Twitter account, but the video was clearly the former Ole Miss star, and it had NFL teams worried.
The Chargers and Jaguars took star defensive prospects in Bosa and Jalen Ramsey, while the Ravens took fellow offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley. The Titans, who were long connected to Tunsil, traded in to the eighth overall pick, but instead took Michigan State OT Jack Conklin.
Tunsil continued to slide all the way to the Dolphins who held the 13th overall pick before hearing his name called. He now enters a situation in Miami where incumbent left tackle Branden Albert is expected to keep his position in 2016.
Tunsil is still likely the Dolphins’ left tackle of the future, but it seems as if the left guard position is in his immediate future. The Dolphins could get out from under Albert’s contract relatively cheap next off season, but he is currently under contract through 2018. Tunsil may eventually force his way to left tackle, but he is going to have to unseat a strong and stable veteran.
Make no mistake, Tunsil is still an elite-level offensive line prospect who will likely shine with the Dolphins. He uses great quickness and athleticism to protect the passer extremely well, and is also a mean and nasty run blocker.
More nfl spin zone: Top Five RBs in 2017 NFL Draft
He should excel inside at left guard, and will likely force the Dolphins to make a tough decision on Albert down the line. That being said, Tunsil needs to keep his head on straight and stay out of trouble off of the field.
There are undoubtedly going to be many “random” drug tests in Tunsil’s NFL future.