Joshua Dobbs is the Pittsburgh Steelers Quarterback of the Future

Track Record

Dobbs had a tremendous career at the University of Tennessee. As their star quarterback, he threw for nearly 3,000 yards to go along with 27 touchdowns. Dobbs also showcased tremendous mobility, as he ran for over 2,000 yards in his Tennessee career with 32 rushing touchdowns. Dobbs displayed great poise and resilience throughout his college career. He willed his team to several overtime wins, and while he could never take down SEC rival Alabama, he still led Tennessee to bowl games in his final three years at Tennessee.

Potential

Dobbs is one of the most athletic quarterbacks in the NFL right now. He has tremendous speed, as he ran a 4.64 40-yard dash at the NFL combine. He displayed this mobility throughout his Tennessee career and also during the preseason. He rushed for 34 yards and a touchdown during the preseason, and also threw for 406 yards over his four games of action. While the numbers don’t scream that he is a future star, keep in mind that he is still a raw talent. He has the potential to dominate in the NFL, but he still has to grow as a passer. Being Roethlisberger’s backup will certainly help, as he will watch and learn from the sidelines as one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL slices up defenses.

Offensive Weapons

Once Dobbs becomes a starter, he will have plenty of weapons to play with on offense. Whether Le’Veon Bell stays with Pittsburgh will not be a huge deal for Dobbs, as the Steelers still have rookie James Conner who flashed potential during the preseason. Dobbs will also be throwing to one of the best receiving corps in the NFL. Between Antonio Brown, Martavis Bryant, and rookie JuJu Smith-Schuster, the Steelers have the offense to support Dobbs as a starter.

In addition to these weapons, the Steelers also have the defense to keep the team competitive regardless of who is under center. With budding stars like T.J. Watt and veterans like Joe Haden, the defense is on track to be one of the best in the league. The world saw what the Denver Broncos did in Super Bowl 50: using their defense to cover up for their flaws on offense. While Peyton Manning, not an unproven player like Dobbs, was their quarterback, this was his final season and he was benched in favor of Brock Osweiler in the middle of that season. Still, the team goes to show that a great defense can take pressure away from a quarterback.

Summary

In the end, Dobbs has tremendous arm strength and mobility, and is a perfect fit inside the Pittsburgh Steelers offensive system. While he is still incredibly raw as a pro, playing behind a future Hall of Fame quarterback like Roethlisberger will allow him to mature faster. Dobbs has a lot of potential and can become the next star quarterback to lead the Steel City to a Super Bowl.