Round 5 - Pick 140 - Dorian Thompson-Robinson, QB, UCLA

[Lee]

Goof arm? Lol

You have seen the Mickey Mouse where Goofy plays qb without a facemask? You know, Goof arm.

 

[sportscoach]

You have seen the Mickey Mouse where Goofy plays qb without a facemask? You know, Goof arm.

Thanks for the explanation!

 

[Randolphkeys]

It is better to have a goof arm than a bag arm, this I promise you on a stag of Babbles.

 

[Lee]

It is better to have a goof arm than a bag arm, this I promise you on a stag of Babbles.

Ducking fork.

 

[avs2000]

2023 NFL Draft: Don't Overlook UCLA QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson

UCLA quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson might not be high on a lot of NFL teams' draft lists, but Marc Trestman sees a lot of pro potential.

www.the33rdteam.com

After watching most of the players considered the top quarterbacks in the 2023 NFL Draft, I turned my attention to UCLA’s Dorian Thompson-Robinson, who I believe is a dark horse candidate to be selected higher than many expect.

While he doesn’t have the hype or frame of the other heavily discussed quarterbacks in the class, Thompson-Robinson’s experience, arm talent, athleticism, and functional intelligence give him a good foundation as a future NFL quarterback.

>>READ: The 33rd Team’s 2023 NFL Draft Big Board

Dorian Thompson-Robinson Evaluation​

2022 Games Watched​

• California
• Arizona State
• USC
• Pittsburgh

Thompson-Robinson’s Credentials​

The first thing that jumps out immediately in Thompson-Robinson’s background is his five years as the starting quarterback at UCLA, with a fifth year granted due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Thompson-Robinson is the only opening-day starter at quarterback UCLA head coach Chip Kelly has had in his tenure at UCLA, going 26-23 in his 49 career starts. One important positive takeaway is the steady improvement the Bruins showed during Thompson-Robinson’s time at UCLA. After going 10-21 during the first three years of Kelly’s tenure, they’ve gone 17-8 since, with Thompson-Robinson’s improvement as one of the catalysts.

I watched four games from 2022, and Thompson-Robinson looked well-coached and comfortable in the offense. While Kelly’s offense often is thought of as a pure spread attack, there are a number of NFL concepts, including option routes, quick-timing throws, and running-back flare-control passes as third options.

Thompson-Robinson steadily has improved his statistical accuracy over the years. Across the first four years of his career, he completed 60.8 percent of his passes, with percentages below 60 in his first two seasons. In 2022, however, he ranked sixth in the FBS after completing 69.6 percent of his passes. And while his 7.1-yard average depth of target is low, that arguably is due to the UCLA play-calling, not a lack of arm strength.

Arm Talent, Accuracy​

After taking the shotgun snap, Thompson-Robinson again looks well-coached from a fundamentals perspective, staging the tip of the ball at the “V” of the neck tight to the sternum, keeping balance with a strong base and showing clean footwork in his drops.

While his throwing motion at times is a bit more elongated than some of the other top quarterbacks in this class, he still manages to get the ball up and out quickly. With his staging, footwork, balance, and quick release, he looks very confident in his ability to make all the throws.


When releasing the ball, Thompson-Robinson shows the ability to throw with multiple arm angles. The ball often explodes out of his hand, as evidenced by his tying Josh Allen‘s velocity record of 62 mph at this year’s combine. For comparison’s sake, this year Anthony Richardson (scouting report) clocked a top velocity of 60 mph, while C.J. Stroud (scouting report) managed 59 mph. Meanwhile, Justin Herbert previously clocked 60 mph in 2020, while Patrick Mahomes hit 55 mph in 2017.

This is not to say that Thompson-Robinson has a bigger arm than Allen, Herbert or Mahomes, but he clearly has explosive arm talent.

On tape, it’s evident that Thompson-Robinson has the confidence to make impressive throws into tight spaces over the middle. And while he’s adept at throwing the fastball, he’s also instinctively able to modify the trajectory and speed of his passes when necessary.

Thompson-Robinson’s accuracy has steadily improved, and he is consistent, throwing with location and touch to the short and intermediate areas of the field. However, he will overthrow receivers at times. I saw very few outside-lane go routes in the four-game sample, but notwithstanding, Thompson-Robinson showed the ability to make a wide variety of throws, validating his explosive arm talent and touch. The continued vetting of his career will be necessary to evaluate him in this area.

Athleticism, Escapability​

Thompson-Robinson is a dual-threat quarterback with explosive rushing ability to complement his passing ability. He is not Lamar Jackson or Justin Fields, but he is on the level of some of the NFL’s better running quarterbacks. Let me be clear, though, Thompson-Robinson is a passer first with the ability to extend a play outside of the pocket and make accurate throws on the move or run.

He showed high-level ability as a runner on designed quarterback runs and in scrambling situations, with the ability to make defenders miss in the open field and surprising contact balance for a player with a slighter frame. His ability as a runner forces defenses to have to account for all 11 on each play.

Within the pocket, Thompson-Robinson shows the ability to sense pressure and step up while keeping his eyes upfield. He has good ball security while sliding in the pocket with two hands firmly on the ball, tight to his body, showing courage to stand in and deliver amidst the chaos of pocket pressure.

When he has to maneuver in the pocket, Thompson-Robinson’s flexibility and balance stand out. He can contort his body to avoid contact or keep his balance and break free from pass rushers.

Once he exits the pocket, he shows the creativity to make plays out of structure while moving to his right or left. The ability to make awkward throws, throw on the move and win out of structure gives Thompson-Robinson an added playmaking element that some other top quarterbacks in this class do not possess.

Mental Toughness​

One area that immediately jumps out on tape is Thompson-Robinson’s functional intelligence to process quickly, manage chaos in the pocket, slow the game down, and quiet his mind to make good decisions.

His decision-making ability to quickly get the ball up and out in the red zone stands out. He also will finish his progressions when making full-field reads and find the hot receiver when pressured. He shows great anticipation while throwing the ball in deep areas over the middle against zone coverage.

Of all the quarterbacks in this year’s draft, Thompson-Robinson might do the best job of understanding where all his receivers will be throughout each play, showing full command of the Bruins system.

So where does he need to improve? The tape is clear that, perhaps due to overconfidence in his arm talent, there are too many instances when he tries to get more out of plays than he needs to, forcing passes or taking unnecessary hits when he should throw the ball away.

In the NFL, a quarterback has two key responsibilities: Take care of the ball and live for the next play. Thompson-Robinson’s future coaches will want to emphasize these objectives.

Another area Thompson-Robinson should improve is his spatial awareness against zone coverage. Of the interceptions he threw late in the season (six overall in two of the last three games), it appeared he did not see linebackers in underneath coverage, which led to unnecessary turnovers.

Overall, Thompson-Robinson is mentally advanced in some areas, but work remains to be done in others.

Final Thoughts​

There is a lot to be excited about with Thompson-Robinson’s 2022 tape.

He put together several high-end plays that showed his explosive arm talent and quick decision-making. He calmly worked through his progressions, often finding a third option to a running back, unlike most of the top quarterbacks in this class.

Thompson-Robinson does not appear to have a strong frame, and he has been more turnover prone than any of the other quarterbacks I’ve studied leading up to the 2023 draft — as evidenced by his 12 turnovers (seven interceptions, five fumbles) in his final five games at UCLA — yet he has a playmaking ability that others do not possess.

I believe Thompson-Robinson deserves to get a complete evaluation from coaches and personnel throughout the NFL. He has too much experience, arm talent and athletic ability, based on my four-game study, to be overlooked. When looking at the landscape of the top quarterbacks in the draft, Thompson-Robinson may be a dark horse candidate whose upside is worth strong consideration. There is a load of talent that any coach could get excited about.

Marc Trestman is a former NFL, CFL and college coach. He coached in four Grey Cups in the CFL, winning three over seven years with Montreal and Toronto before becoming head coach of the Chicago Bears. Follow him on Twitter at @CoachTrestman.

I am fine with the pick. I feel like teams should take a qb every year around the 5-6 th round. You have a year and a half to evaluate. Rinse and repeat. Never know. You might find a good one

 

[The Oi]

Browns should take one in the 1st every year.

 

[Randolphkeys]

 

[mds]

You have seen the Mickey Mouse where Goofy plays qb without a facemask? You know, Goof arm.

Much like Goofy foot.

 

[Juice is Loose]

 

[Randolphkeys]

I thought I posted this Sunday... my bad!

 

[Amherstcavsfan]

(might have found a good one here)

 

[Out of the Rafters at the Q]

(might have found a good one here)

The fuck do you mean "might"?

140. Chalky chalk chalk. I love Dorian Thompson-Robinson, QB UCLA and we’re sticking with him here. Elite physical upside that has yet to be realized. Highly mobile, cannon for an arm, and has experienced the type of growth curve that I love - every single year since he was 19 years old, he's gotten better. He started as a complete tear down project, but evolved into a day two QB prospect in just three years. That willingness to learn and grow is important to me, and combining that with his physical talent puts him somewhere in the realm of a Jalen Hurts type of prospect to me. Accuracy and decision making can still be spotty at times, but every single September for him has been better than the last. I'm a believer in him.

 

[Ohio]

The fuck do you mean "might"?

DTR!! Yesssss

Day 1 DTR fan club members stand up!

 

[Out of the Rafters at the Q]

Day 1 DTR fan club members stand up!

I had DTR as my QB4 heading into this draft. I wasn't a Levis fan.

I think there's a lot of similarity to Jalen Hurts. Lots of college experience. Athlete. Got better and more accurate every single year...

Low key, I was expecting Seattle to take him at 37 or 52. I think he'd be PERFECT staying out on the West Coast, sitting behind Geno for now, learning and growing with Pete Carroll... I'm so happy he fell.

Post made before day three of the draft below. Some highlights other than DTR:

1) Calling out Dawand Jones, DTR and Wypler... three of the five players we drafted on day 3 (Mcguire was expected, but wasn't mentioned here. Cameron Mitchell was the only one that I didn't really peg before the draft).
2) Even Vorhees, who was the player that Baltimore took with our 7th rounder we traded them is mentioned
3) Assuming Dawand was undraftable turned out to be a bad take very quickly
4) Andre Carter, who I loved the entire draft process, went undrafted.
5) Cory Trice fell because of injury history.... and he already got hurt and is out for the season. I wouldn't be surprised if his career is over.

I don't know what's up with Dawand Jones and I'm out in Miami for a bachelor party so don't have the ability to dive in and poke around... so I'm crossing him off my board. Assume he's undraftable.

Chandler Zavala is probably my highest rated player left. I'm hoping we get him.

After Zavala, Wypler, Vorhees, Mafi and Forsyth really do it for me at IOL spots.

Lots of tackles I'd take a shot on. Jaelyn Duncan, Nick Saldiveri... maybe Asimov's Richards later on.

Wouldn't hate a tight end. Allen, Kuntz, Girndorff.

It's hard to go wrong at RB. Tons of talent left. Just don't take DeWayne McBride no matter how high PFF grades him.

I still love AT Perry.

Dorian Thompson-Robinson is still there.

Interior defensive line I like Redmond, Desjuan Johnson and Nesta Jade Silvera.

I know his testing dropped him but I'd still take Andre Carter at DE. He might be up there with Zavala for my number one target. I just think the kid can rush the passer out of the wide 9. There's still more than ten edge players I'd like available.

At LB, Noah Sewell and Ivan Pace stand out for me.

All the safeties are still there.

I know we value corners. Cory Trice for outside, Tre'Vius Hodges-Tomlinson for inside.

 

[Randolphkeys]

This is just the most Stefanski quarterback room yet. They all approach the game similarly with similar talents. They have known each other from quarterback off-season work before they were teammates.

Most importantly they know the pecking order: Watson is the clear star, Dobbs is the vet, DTR is the day three pick.

Nobody wants to think of Watson potentially missing time, but I like what they have in place if Watson gets banged up.