The Pittsburgh Steelers have already brought Landry Jones back to be the backup quarterback. Does that mean the Steelers aren’t in the market for QB in this draft? One guy worth looking at late might be Tennessee’s Joshua Dobbs.
Joshua Dobbs, QB, Tennessee
6’3″ 216 pounds
Key Combine Stats: 4.64 forty, 33″ vertical, 9 1/4″ hands
2016 Stats: 225/357 2,946 yards 27 TDs/12 INTs
What’s to Like: Pocket awareness is very good… Able to escape pressure with good footwork; keeps ball in ready to throw position throughout scramble… Really good deep ball… As a runner, very good on the read option; gets positive yardage and gets through the hole quickly… Throws a very nice ball in terms of a tight spiral… Gets through his progressions pretty well for a college QB… He’s very deliberate with his mechanics and footwork… Pretty quick release for how long he is… Has the ability to be used in specific game situations due to athleticism.
What’s Concerning: Arm strength is not great… One of the most important throws in the NFL is the 15-yard out and his throws don’t have a lot of zip on them; gives DB too much time to close… Can lock on receiver too quickly and for too long at times… Needs to put some weight and strength on his frame… As with most, he was limited to a spread attack and took very few snaps from center… Hand size is decent, not great…
The Verdict: Because quarterbacks are largely taken sooner than they should be, I’m not sure Dobbs will be available for the Steelers in the late rounds where I think he should be drafted. When I look for a backup QB I look for two things; good decision-making and mobility. For the most part, Dobbs has both of those. I can see a scenario where the Steelers draft him late and see what he can do at camp. With Landry Jones back, it doesn’t necessitate a QB being drafted but I do like what Dobbs could bring as a backup.
Link: All 2017 Steel City Blitz Draft Player Journals
Photo courtesy: Saturday Down South
Video courtesy: Draftbreakdown.com/youtube.com