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NFL analyst Ron Jaworski explains why the Dak Prescott-Josh Dobbs comparisons are legitimate
By Adam Spencer
Published:
PHILADELPHIA — With the 2017 NFL Draft quickly approaching, all 32 NFL teams are furiously working on their draft boards, moving players up and down with each bit of news that breaks and each piece of film they analyze.
One player who has been trending upward in recent weeks is former Tennessee QB Joshua Dobbs, who has impressed everyone from Todd McShay to Jon Gruden with his intelligence and athleticism.
Former Pro Bowl QB Ron Jaworski, now an analyst for ESPN, is among those who thinks Dobbs could be the steal of the draft.
Jaws, a longtime Philadelphia Eagles star, helped bring this year’s draft to Philly and spoke at one of the city’s schools Tuesday afternoon to kick off draft week.
The 1980 NFC Player of the Year heaped praise on the former Volunteer as he explained why he believes Dobbs will be a steal for whatever team picks him.
“Everyone talked about Tom Brady, you know, ‘Where do you get that guy at No. 199 in the sixth round?’ for a long time,” Jaworski told Saturday Down South. “Now, the en vogue player is Dak Prescott, taken in the fourth round by the Dallas Cowboys. Everyone wants to know, ‘Jaws, who’s that guy? You’ve looked at all the tape, who’s the guy that you like that could be the surprise?’
“I think it’s Josh Dobbs, the quarterback out of Tennessee. He made a lot of throws in college — just under a thousand throws. He played a lot, he’s a bright young man and he’s mobile.”
Dobbs ended his Tennessee career with an impressive 7,138 passing yards and 53 touchdowns through the air, but he was just as dangerous with his legs, adding 2,160 yards and 32 scores on the ground.
That experience, accumulated over four years in Knoxville, is something Jaworski thinks will serve Dobbs well at the next level.
“I like guys that have that experience in college that projects them well to the NFL. It’s why I worry about a guy like Mitch Trubisky, who only played 13 games. I like guys that have experience. It’s the old Bill Parcells rule — he likes guys who played four years, they stayed in school, they graduated. They come out not only as mature players, but as mature individuals. Josh Dobbs is a guy I’ve got circled.”
In a mock draft updated Tuesday, WalterFootball.com has Dobbs going to the Arizona Cardinals in the third round (No. 77 overall). However, if the hype around the former Tennessee quarterback continues to build, he might not be around by then.
With a former quarterback like Jaworski in his corner, Dobbs might not be done rocketing up draft boards just yet.
Adam is a daily fantasy sports (DFS) and sports betting expert. A 2012 graduate of the University of Missouri, Adam now covers all 16 SEC football teams. He is the director of DFS, evergreen and newsletter content across all Saturday Football brands.
