DawgTalkers.net Forums The Archives 2017 NFL Season 2017 NFL Draft Antonio Pipkin and Joshua Dobbs

My dad is a big fan of finding these hidden gems. Probably because he went to University of Delaware so, he likes to look for players from smaller schools that are often overlooked.

Anyway, he sent me a bunch of stuff on Antonio Pipkin (QB), Tiffin University. He will be in the Senior Bowl. Apparently he has caught the attention of the Saints as a possible back up to Brees.

Any of you guys know anything more about him?

While we are talking about QBs....thoughts on Joshua Dobbs (TN)?

I really like Joshua Dobbs. He literally put that TN team on his back and made them relevant again. From watching him play, he appears to be a run first QB, but I won't hold that against him. Good arm, okay accuracy, and very level headed as he doesn't let the moment overtake him. He'll need a couple years to learn the NFL game.

Pipkin is a hard guy to scout due to a lack of real competition to gauge him against but here goes from some videos I found of him.

He tend to make a lot of one read and go plays that seem to be designed by the OC. There are a lot of screen passes that are done a bit too quickly IMHO but it seems they designed them that way so it's hard to blame that on the QB. Because of that though he makes some really nice short passes.

He seems to have a problem making passes from the 8 yard to 15 yard range and I think it's because on those plays he is actually having to look for an open receiver post snap instead of open zone passing. In other words they usually send their receivers to a set spot and he throws to that spot blind. On these medium routes though wr run actual routes and try to get open and it seems he has trouble finding and making an accurate throw to them.

On long throws he shows that he can make 40 plus passes just fine and even with some touch. He seems very comfortable throwing them open deep which is intriguing to me because it shows he has good deep vision and a nice arm. He might do well in a Norv Turner vertical style passing game.

He can run the ball with nice vision but he runs like a FB who has no fear of getting hit so while he does it very well his style of running will be dangerous at the NFL level. Still he has very nice mobility and seems to throw decent on the run.

He has inconsistent footwork. Sometimes its very well done and other times it's very sloppy. Pressure seems to affect his footwork a great deal which is a bit of a red flag to me. It's not a fear of being hit but more of a mindset of trying to do too much. I don't think he fears getting hit at all. I think good coaching can fix this though.

He has a nice throwing motion right at ear level. His pump fake is so slow it's kind of useless though. His hands tend to drop a bit low when he is not sure where he is going to pass the ball which is a very bad habit.

He is a QB that should be drafted in 4th to 7th round because he needs to be trained and built up a bit. I see a lot of potential in him though with his skill set. If he got drafted by a team who was willing to actually train him and he got some off season help I think he could definately surprise some people and one day become a starter because the things he does wrong are completely coachable.

He could really be a diamond in the rough.

When it comes to Dobbs WTF!!!

I mean why is nobody talking about this kid?! He is AMAZING!!!

Great footwork, Great field vision, Great throwing mechanics, Very poised, nice arm with very nice velocity on his passes, and man is he freaking elusive!

He also seems to be a well spoken and nice young man too.

What am I missing on this guy for him to be so little talked about?

This guy easily earns a first round grade from the video I just watched of him against Florida Gators. If we could draft him at 33 it would be the steal of the draft IMHO.

Watched his tape vs Nebraska ... other than a few balls sailing high, he was very impressive. Not sure what his size is listed at but he looks a little thin. Certainly looks to have plenty of talent. Glad he will be at the Senior Bowl !

I'm a Tennessee fan so I have had the privilege to watch every snap of Joshua Dobbs' career. The only real knock against him as a pro prospect is that he's INCONSISTENT. If you catch him on the wrong night like against Appalachian State on the opening night of the college football season this past year or against South Carolina in the middle of the season, then you will see a guy who looks like he should not be drafted as a QB at all. And as you said if you catch him on the right day like against Florida or Nebraska you will see a guy who looks like he should be a 1st round pick. The thing about Dobbs is that he's rarely ever average. He's either spectacular and puts the entire Tennessee program on his shoulders or he's terrible.

The positive here is that as his career has progressed, he has became more consistent. He's improved each and every year and finished his senior season in 2016 just 12 yards short of breaking Peyton Manning's school record for total yards of offense. Overall for the season he led the SEC in QB rating, total TDs, and passing TDs. During conference play he also led the SEC in total yards and yards per pass attempt. Although Jalen Hurts won SEC Offensive Player of the Year (based largely on his team's success). In terms of pure numbers Dobbs was the best offensive player in the SEC for the 2016 season.

Inconsistency as a passer is really the only knock against him as a pro prospect because in terms of measurables and intangibles he's got it all. He's tall at a legit 6'3". Maybe even closer to 6'4". He's a solid 210-215 lbs. He has a strong arm that can make all the throws. And he is easily the most athletic QB coming out this year. Not only does he have very good straight line speed (I'm guessing he'll probably run in the 4.5 range at the combine) but he's also got that innate elusiveness in the pocket to evade sacks like Russell Wilson. And in the open field he's very slippery when it comes to breaking tackles. In some games he looks more like a RB than a QB in the open field as he runs over DBs or runs by LBs. In terms of intangibles, he has everything you could ask for. He's extremely smart. He majored in Aeronautical Engineering at Tennessee while also being the starting QB. And beyond the classroom and football field, he was a community leader in the city of Knoxville. There are countless stories of him helping kids and people. You won't find anyone at the University of Tennessee or the city of Knoxville that will have a single bad word to say about this kid as a person off the field.

Taking all of this in, I believe there is a good chance he can be the Dak Precott of this class. His inconsistency can be improved with better coaching. I think everyone who follows college football knows that Butch Jones is a terrible head coach. In addition for the last 2 years Dobbs hasn't even had a QB coach on the staff. For some reason Butch Jones felt a grad assistant was sufficient instead. While the Tennessee football team is talented in general, they have been really bad along the offensive line for the last 3 years of Dobbs tenure. In many ways they have been the worst offensive line in the SEC for the last 3 years but yet Dobbs has found a way to make it work and make Tennessee one of the most explosive offenses in the SEC. Someone is gonna draft this kid in the mid-to-late rounds and I believe they will get an absolute steal. He's in many ways a taller more athletic Deshaun Watson without the hype.

Dobbs should be there day 3. If we dont plan on drafting a QB high, I'd love to draft Dobbs in the 6th.

Razorthorns, IVS....thanks for your input. Really appreciate it. I am very intrigued about both these dudes and have watched some film on Pipkin. I know it is a tough road to the NFL for a small school player like Pipkin and I don't know if a project like that is what the Browns want to invest in. However, he has a lot of positives, which make him interesting to follow.

Dobbs, however, is very intriguing and he seems to be going under the radar of many folks. Your assessment IVS is excellent and you make very valid points. Cheers!

I appreciate your compliment and glad I had time to see a couple of new prospects. Makes me happier about not taking a QB round one by a long shot. I have trouble believing Dobbs would make it past round 4.

Dobbs is a probably a 6th rounder right now but I think its unlikely he lasts that long in April when the draft rolls around. Expect him to rise throughout the process. He'll test really well at the combine given his measureables and athletic ability. He'll interview well given his intelligence. And he has the senior bowl to show he's improved his consistency as a passer.

There's a very good chance at least a few teams fall in love with him through the process and draft him significantly higher than most of the draft boards have him right now. I think he ultimately goes in the 3rd to 4th round similar to Russell Wilson and Dak Prescott.

I think Dobbs (having watched a little) or Mahomes II would be possible options as 2nd tier QB selections for us. Would be intriguing to see what Hue could do with either.

I watched a little of Dobbs ( part of one game) and liked whet I saw but then I look at his stats and see a lot of interceptions. And wonder what's going on with that.

Tennessee's offense in 2016 tried forcing the ball down the field alot more than in previous years. If you look at his numbers in 2015 he had 15 passing TDs to just 5 INTs. A 3-1 TD to INT ratio is pretty good but if you dig deeper into the numbers you'll see he only averaged 6.7 yards per pass attempt. Numbers that are very pedestrian and show that the offense was largely conservative and didn't risk trying to go for many big plays to protect against turnovers. In 2016, the offense became more explosive passing the ball down the field. Dobbs led the SEC in TD passes over 20 yards. He was also among the league leaders in yards per pass attempt at a solid 8.3 yards per pass attempt. Tennessee's offense was also second overall in the SEC behind Alabama in points scored per game.

This is a long way of saying that Dobbs has the same problem Deshaun Watson has when it comes to protecting the football. And that is being a little careless when forcing the ball down the field in an attempt to make big plays. Protecting the football when it comes to fumbles and INTs are both areas where he needs to improve big time. I'm hoping that will come with better coaching. It still boggles my mind that he did not have a QB coach the last 2 years in college.

Watching Senior Bowl practices Pipkin has a live arm.

I like reading other people's opinions and discussing prospects, QBs in particular.

It seems clear that Dobbs is your guy. As a prospect I like him too. I think his level of athleticism is near the top of this draft class. But to say he is easily the most athletic QB discounts the athleticism of Watson, Kizer, Trubisky, and Jerod Evans.

I've watched some of Dobbs. And I consider Watson a maxed out version of Dobbs. Watson to my eye is a more muscled up, productive, efficient, consistent, polished and clutch version of Dobbs.

I bet Haslam wouldn't mind drafting a Volunteer.

Yeah if he is sitting there in round 3 or 4 I bet ole jimmy will be like cmon guys help my boy out =)

Listening to NFL radio on my way home from work and they were talking about how intense the Browns coaching staff had yesterday's practice. They were saying that was the most intense practive they have ever seen at the senior bowl and joked that a few agents were probably talking to Phil Savage about it.

I like to hear stuff like that about our coaching staff.

I like the Pipkins athleticism and arm talent, clean throwing motion

He's facing a big jump in competition level, and doesn't reach the QB height mendozza line

But i like him as a developmental QB.

He has a lot to learn but also has a lot of raw physical talent

Hue is an intense man and it showed in the effort our guys made last season. I can't wait to see how many of those rookies from last year improve coming into their second year.

I liked Webb the best, then Dobbs... there was not much else to get excited about.

I said, in another thread that if we take a QB, then I hope it's Webb ... in the 3rd or 4th.