From now until the 2017 NFL Draft takes place, we hope to showcase as many prospects as possible and examine both their strengths and weaknesses. Most of these profiles will feature individuals that the Pittsburgh Steelers are likely to have an interest in, while a few others will be top-ranked players. If there is a player you would like us to analyze, let us know in the comments below.
#11 Joshua Dobbs / QB / Tennessee: 6’3” 207lbs
The Good:
– Dynamic running ability and breakaway speed
– Great pocket elusiveness and awareness
– Solid fundamentals and throwing mechanics
– Good quick-game passing
– Above-average arm strength
– Toughness in the pocket; willing to stand tall and make throws with pressure in his face
– Keeps eyes downfield when scrambling
– Does a good job of working through progressions
The Bad:
– Rarely throws the ball downfield
– Questionable field vision: sometimes fails to see defenders playing the flats
– Often gets tunnel vision and forces the ball to covered receivers
– Never took snaps from under center
– Occasionally fumbles when running the ball
– Sometimes had troubling catching shotgun snaps
Bio:
– Career Passing: 35 Career Starts (23 wins, 12 losses. 3-0 in bowls) 61.5% completion rate, 7,138 yards (fifth in Tennessee history), 53 TDs 29 INTs
– Career Rushing: 438 carries, 2,160 yards (4.9 avg.), 32 TDs.
– Set UT records for career rushing yards by a quarterback, rushing touchdowns by a QB, single-season rushing yards by a QB, and single-season rushing touchdowns by a QB.
– His 9,360 yards of total offense (7,138 passing, 2,160 rushing, 62 receiving) rank third in school history behind only Peyton Manning and Casey Clausen
– Joined Mississippi State’s Dak Prescott and Florida’s Tim Tebow as the only SEC quarterbacks to record 15 passing touchdowns and 10 rushing touchdowns in multiple seasons
– Is one of only four quarterbacks in SEC history to have 50 career passing touchdowns and 25 career rushing touchdowns. The others are Tebow, Prescott, and Texas A&M’s Johnny Manziel.
Film Breakdown:
– Joshua Dobbs is a solidly average quarterback. He has big-play running ability, great elusiveness in the pocket, and was very efficient in his quick-game; however, he was also fairly uninspiring in his overall passing game. He was not a consistent threat to throw vertically downfield and he demonstrated questionable decision-making by throwing several interceptable passes a game. As a result, I see him as likely having an ordinary NFL career as a game-managing starter or as a reliable back-up.
Dobbs’ dynamic athleticism is clearly his best attribute. Although he was a throw-first QB who would stay in the pocket as long as necessary; when protection broke down, he regularly kept the play alive with his feet and gained positive yardage. For example, in this first clip against South Carolina, Dobbs makes a decisive decision to tuck the ball and run when he feels the pocket collapsing. He converts a potentially negative play into a 50-yard touchdown:
Elusiveness and escapability are other positive features of Dobbs’ playing style. He relies on his natural instincts to help sense pressure (allowing him to keep his eyes downfield), as well as his sound fundamentals (helping him make accurate throws in chaotic situations). In this play against Florida, Dobbs’ feels the front-side rusher, reacts quickly with a fantastic spin, and then throws a touchdown pass while on the run:
Here against Nebraska, Dobbs again demonstrates great calmness and escapability in the face of heavy pressure. He sidesteps the inside rush, quickly resets while keeping his eyes downfield, then reverse-pivots on a secondary scramble. Additionally, notice his ball-security fundamentals as he keeps both hands on the ball throughout the entirety of the play:
On the negative side, Dobbs’ decision-making needs improvement. He would occasionally get too locked-in on a single receiver and force the ball into impossibly tight windows. For example, in this next clip against South Carolina, he appears to have decided pre-snap that he was going to throw to the corner route, and as a result, throws an interception. It’s tough to justify this pass to his receiver, who is surrounded by four defenders:
Lastly, Dobbs sometimes took unnecessary risks when trying to make a big play. Here against Appalachian State, on a 3rd and 3 play near the Red Zone, he unwisely floats an off-balanced pass to a covered receiver. Instead of making the smart and safe decision to throw the ball away, Dobbs commits a bad turnover and costs his team a field goal attempt:
– Overall, Joshua Dobbs could have a decent NFL career if he lands in the right system and has the right players around him. He has a way to go before he’s ready to become a starter on an NFL team; however, with good coaching and time to learn the intricacies of a professional offense, he certainly has the raw physical abilities to be a productive player on Sundays.
I see him as having a similar skill set and NFL-ceiling as Pittsburgh QB Nathan Peterman. I think that at this moment Peterman is the more refined prospect; however, Dobbs may have more long-term potential. Interestingly, Peterman began his career at Tennessee, but lost his starting position to Dobbs. Both players are tough, throw-first quarterbacks with great running ability and who had similar collegiate production (in 2016, both threw for 27 TDs and approximately 2,900 yards). Dobbs is slightly bigger, more athletic, and has a better arm; however, Peterman played in a pro-style offense and took better care of the football (2016: Dobbs had 12 INTs/10 FUM; Peterman 7 INTs/7 FUM).
Projection: Day 3
Games Watched: vs Appalachian State, at Vanderbilt, vs Nebraska, at South Carolina, at Florida (2015), at Alabama (2015)
