Cleveland Browns Senior Bowl watch: Tennessee QB Josh Dobbs

The Cleveland Browns will be taking a close look at the participants of the annual Senior Bowl. Is there a chance quarterback Josh Dobbs would be an option later in the draft?

The annual Senior Bowl is set for Saturday in Mobile, Ala. Since head coach Hue Jackson and the Cleveland Browns coaching staff will be working closely with the South team, they will have a first-hand look at some options the organization will have when the NFL Draft comes this April.

While Cleveland’s top pick will be the most analyzed, the key to success will be what they can do in the later rounds. With the general consensus being that the quarterback position is still a major liability, the Browns would love nothing more than to find a player to finally solve the problem once and for all.

This is precisely why quarterbacks such as Tennessee’s Josh Dobbs are so intriguing. Clearly not a top pick, and most likely not even a first round pick at all, Dobbs could be the type of selection in which the possible reward makes the risk worth it.

The 6-foot-3, 216-pound Georgia native has a lot of upside, and is certainly an exciting player to watch. He finished his collegiate career with school records for rushing yards and rushing touchdowns by a quarterback, and was fifth in career passing yards.

So would the Browns take a chance on Dobbs under any circumstances?

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On one hand, not many fans are ready to take a chance on another quarterback that plays the way that Dobbs does. With the offensive line currently being a major question mark, the organization might be considered foolish to take a chance on a quarterback whose scrambling ability is an essential part of his game.

But on the other hand, if the team really were to consider drafting Clemson quarterback DeShaun Watson at No. 1 overall, what would stop them from going after a similar quarterback in Dobbs later in the draft?

Clearly, Watson’s size and arm makes him more desirable. But since Dobbs likely wouldn’t be selected until later in the draft, he could be considered a compromise of sorts.

NFL.com’s latest mock draft does not have the 21-year-old Dobbs leaving the board through the first three rounds. If this holds true, the Browns can select five players before they would have to consider Dobbs, meaning the risk of drafting him is low.

Still, Cleveland wouldn’t take Dobbs just because he falls into the later rounds of the draft. The Browns would need to have a plan to fit the Tennessee quarterback into Jackson’s offense, which is a spread offense with some lingering West Coast elements.

The trade with the New England Patriots which marked the end of Barkevious Mingo’s tenure in Cleveland gave the Browns the 158th overall pick in the fifth round. This would most likely be the target pick for Dobbs, if the organization is interested.

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That’s what makes the Senior Bowl a perfect opportunity for Dobbs to make his case and for the Browns to gauge just how interested they may be come draft weekend.

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