Most of the 2017 NFL draft hype for the Vols is centered on Derek Barnett, Cam Sutton, Jalen Reeves-Maybin, Jalen Hurd and others, but one of the more intriguing storylines surrounds quarterback Joshua Dobbs.
Is he an NFL quarterback? Opinions certainly vary, CBSSports.com, however, has a fairly high opinion of Dobbs heading into the 2016 season, ranking him as the No. 3 quarterback prospect among rising seniors, behind only Chad Kelly of Ole Miss and Iowa’s C.J. Beathard.
Of course, that ranking isn’t a great indication of Dobbs’ actual NFL stock because it doesn’t include possible early entries into the draft. Clemson’s Deshaun Watson and Miami’s Bray Kaaya are two of the top consensus QBs heading into 2016 overall.
But WalterFootball.com’s rankings do include all possible draft-eligible prospects at the position, and Dobbs still checks in at a very respectable No. 6 there among signal callers with a projected draft range of 3rd-5th round.
Ultimately, Dobbs’ NFL future will depend on his accuracy – which was a huge concern in 2015 when it dropped to 59.6% in his first full season as the starter. Only two quarterbacks drafted in 2016 – Christian Hackenburg (Penn State) and Connor Cook (Michigan State) had completion percentages lower than 60% during their final year in college before the draft.
That means Dobbs, who plays in a relatively-friendly offense in terms of completion percentage, really needs to bump that percentage up to hear his name called next April.
Because outside of that, his intangibles are through the roof in terms of athleticism, character, off-the-field behavior, leadership and virtually anything else you could want in a quarterback. Accuracy is king in the NFL, however, and showing it more consistently on all range of throws will be key for Dobbs in 2016.
