Did the Pittsburgh Steelers snag their quarterback of the future in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL draft?
Pittsburgh tabbed Joshua Dobbs with the No. 135 pick on Saturday.
Dobbs has good size at 6-foot-3, fantastic athleticism and a quick release. An aerospace engineer major, Dobbs has the smarts to be a starting quarterback. The biggest question is his accuracy. For the most part, college quarterbacks who struggle with accuracy rarely improve upon making it to the NFL.
"Just a great person," a scout told Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "Natural leader. Not a good passer. He beats you with his feet, not his arm. Runs well."
"He had one of the most impressive pro-day showings I've seen in a while," another scout added. "He's not without talent."
Given Ben Roethlisberger's flirtation with retirement, the Steelers needed to add a quarterback of the future. In Dobbs, they obtain an athletic leader who should push unsatisfactory Landry Jones for the backup role right out of the gate. With Roethlisberger's injury history, it will be interesting to track Dobbs' status as the season progresses. If he indeed passes Jones on the depth chart, the rookie could get thrust into the spotlight earlier than intended.
With time to develop, Dobbs could turn into Pittsburgh's solution to the years-long question of Big Ben's heir.