NFL draft: Pittsburgh Steelers draft Tennessee Vols quarterback Joshua Dobbs in fourth round
An All-SEC quarterback is selected with the 135th pick overall in the fourth round of the NFL draft. He falls to a tradition-rich organization, viewed as the potential successor to a respected longtime starter with a history of injuries.
Dak Prescott was that player last year.
Joshua Dobbs hopes to chart a similar course.
The former Tennessee quarterback was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday afternoon with the exact same pick the Dallas Cowboys used on Prescott last year.
Prescott grabbed the starting role for good as a rookie and led the Cowboys to the playoffs once Tony Romo went down with an injury in the preseason.
Although Dobbs doesn’t wish any harm to Ben Roethlisberger, he couldn’t help but notice the parallels of his selection spot.
“God definitely works in mysterious ways, I’ll say that,” Dobbs said. “Of course, a lot goes into that, and as I’ve stated a lot of times throughout this process, that it was really awesome to have watched Dak this past year and see him take advantage of his opportunity. So I definitely have taken a lot of notes from his book that you just have to go in and prepare and you don’t know when your time is going to be called. But when your opportunity comes, the organization is counting on you so you have to be ready where whoever was in front of you has left off.”
Dobbs is the first UT quarterback selected in the draft since Jonathan Crompton went in the fifth round in 2010. He is the second UT quarterback drafted by the Steelers with Tee Martin going to Pittsburgh in the fifth round in 2000.
After having no players selected in the last two drafts, the Vols finished with a total of six this year.
Dobbs’ selection capped a furious run of UT players taken in the fourth round to round out the class on Saturday.. Linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin was the first off the board, going to the Detroit Lions with the 124th pick overall. A few minutes later, wide receiver Josh Malone was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals with the 128th pick.
The six players selected in the first four rounds were the most for UT since 2002.
“It is a great weekend for Tennessee football and for all of our players,” UT coach Butch Jones said. “They have done such a great job of not only representing their personal brand, but the great brand of Tennessee. Obviously we are very proud and excited for them. Not only for them, but their families as well.”
Read more:
Tennessee's NFL quarterbacks: Joshua Dobbs up next
Detroit Lions pick former Vols LB Jalen Reeves-Maybin in fourth round
Bengals draft former Vols WR Josh Malone in fourth round
Dobbs entered his senior season with many wondering if he would even be drafted.
But his stock steadily rose once he began his draft preparation. The aerospace engineering major impressed NFL scouts, coaches and general managers with his high football IQ, character and leadership.
The Georgia native was projected as a third-round pick by many analysts, but he dropped to the fourth as the seventh quarterback selected.
“It really tests your patience. I mean of course you watch some other names go before you and of course you are not making the decisions. But it just really tests your patience,” Dobbs said. “But it is all a part of the process. I am thankful and very excited of where I ended up.”
During his pro day workout at UT, Dobbs wrote his own throwing script without any assistance. The Steelers were well represented in Knoxville with coach Mike Tomlin and general manager Kevin Colbert in attendance.
Tomlin and Colbert met Dobbs’ mother and father, and flew Dobbs to Pittsburgh for a visit the following Monday.
“I was able to sit down with coach Tomlin and coach (Todd) Haley. I actually got a chance to meet (owner) Mr. (Art) Rooney, and just get a chance to sit down and talk with them and talk about what the plan would be if I got an opportunity to be a part of that organization,” Dobbs said. “We definitely had a lot of conversations throughout the process, so when I saw Pittsburgh on the board I was definitely looking forward to that pick.”
Read more:
Vols' Derek Barnett selected No. 14 by Philadelphia Eagles
Vols running back Alvin Kamara selected in third round by New Orleans Saints
Vols' Cameron Sutton taken by Pittsburgh Steelers in third round
Tomlin came away from the meetings impressed with Dobbs' competitive spirit.
"He's a smart guy. He is driven in all of the right ways. He is properly motivated. He has got natural leadership skills. A lot has been written about his academic prowess, but I think he carries that same mentality in how he approaches football.," Tomlin told the Pittsburgh media. "We just see that there is a lot of upside in this young man. He has been in competitive circumstances before. He has prevailed. He has come out the other side."
Dobbs is expected to be groomed as Roethlisberger’s potential successor. The other quarterbacks on the Steelers roster are Landry Jones and Zach Mettenberger.
“It is definitely a great opportunity to be a part of the Steelers organization and get a chance to learn from a future Hall of Fame quarterback,” Dobbs said. “My goal is to go in there, compete, be the best Josh Dobbs I can be, but also be ready to play whenever my number is called. Just continue to prepare as if I’m the starter and be ready to go when my time comes.”
Dobbs will have a familiar face going through rookie camp with him in Pittsburgh. The Steelers drafted former UT defensive back Cameron Sutton in the third round on Friday night.
Dobbs and Sutton grew up playing against each other in Pee Wee football in Georgia and were roommates as freshmen at UT and again at the Senior Bowl a few months ago.
Tennessee Volunteers selected in the 2017 NFL draft
Player Round/Overall Pick Team
Derek Barnett 1/14 Philadelphia Eagles
Alvin Kamara 3/67 New Orleans Saints
Cameron Sutton 3/94 Pittsburgh Steelers
Jalen Reeves-Maybin 4/124 Detroit Lions
Josh Malone 4/128 Cincinnati Bengals
Joshua Dobbs 4/135 Pittsburgh Steelers