When it comes to quarterback draft classes, 2017 is not one of the better ones. There is no sure fire number one pick in this group. There may not even be a top ten caliber quarterback for that matter. Anyone from the “top” group of Mahomes, Trubinski, Kiser, and Watson could be taken first or possibly drop to the second round. The Steelers have shown interest in Patrick Mahomes, if he should fall to pick 30. Mahomes did come to Pittsburgh for a pre-draft visit. The reality is with so many teams in need of a franchise quarterback, Pittsburgh will probably have to wait until the later rounds to select someone at that position.
The Steelers had another quarterback in for a pre-draft visit, and that was Tennessee star Josh Dobbs. Dobbs stands at 6′ 3″ tall, and is a tremendous athlete. The knock on him throughout his college career has been his accuracy, especially on deep passes. His senior season was somewhat of a disappointment. The Vols were expected to compete for an SEC title in 2016. Dobbs struggled early, as did Tennessee culminating with a 12-26 performance in a loss to South Carolina. That game effectively ended any hopes of a SEC title or any major bowl bid. Dobbs did get hot late in the season including an MVP performance in the Music City Bowl against Nebraska. In his last 5 games, Dobbs completed 75% of his passes with 12 touchdowns and only one interception.
There could be a very high ceiling for a player with the kind of traits Josh Dobbs has. To go along with his athleticism, the former Volunteers quarterback is an aerospace engineering major. Not a bad package for a player projected to go in the 4th to 5th round. This may be the perfect player for the Steelers to have learn behind Ben Roethlisberger for a few seasons. With any luck, the Steelers could have thier heir to Big Ben wothout ever having to bottom out like most teams do.