Dorian Thompson-Robinson, QB UCLA: 2023 NFL Draft Profile

Thompson-Robinson was a four-star recruit from Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas, Nev. in the class of 2018

UCLA quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson is getting some late fourth and early fifth round buzz in the 2023 NFL Draft. He has an excellent athletic profile, but his tape is one giant rollercoaster.

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Dorian Thompson-Robinson, QB UCLA: 2023 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Redshirt senior quarterback from Las Vegas, Nev.

Background: Thompson-Robinson was a four-star recruit from Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas, Nev. in the class of 2018. He was the No. 36 recruit according to 247Sports, No. 48 for Rivals, and No. 43 for On3.com. ESPN ranked him 34th in the nation with an 86 grade out of 100. As a high school senior, Thompson-Robinson completed 176 of 256 pass attempts for 3,275 yards, 38 touchdowns, and three interceptions. He also ran for 426 yards and seven scores. As a junior, Thompson-Robinson completed 21 of 31 passes for three touchdowns and ran for six additional scores. Thompson-Robinson also caught 22 passes for 397 yards and eight touchdowns. He earned an invitation to the Under Armour All-America Game.

Injuries & Off-Field: Battled through a shoulder injury in 2018, missed 2019 Oregon State game, missed 2021 Utah game

Awards: 2020 Second-Team All-Pac-12, 2021 Second-Team All-Pac-12, 2022 Honorable Mention All-Pac-12

Pros: 50 career appearances, good production at all levels of the field, smooth throwing motion, throws a tight spiral, speeds up throwing motion on dump offs, adjusts arm slots and release angles, throws with touch on short passes, good velocity on throws to the short and intermediate levels, layers the ball between the second and third levels, comfortable throwing on the run and creating off-platform, delivers throws in the face of pressure, unafraid of contact, tough player who takes big hits, examples of working through full-field reads quickly, his receivers let him down with drops, mobility to extend plays, creates with his legs at a high level, threat to keep the ball on RPOs, quick feet, speed to beat linebackers and some DBs to the edge, gashes defenses for long runs when left alone in space, dynamic and elusive runner, reads and uses his blockers well

Cons: Age, 12 penalties in the past three years, lean frame, throwing motion takes too long at its apex, feet get stuck in the ground, lack of foot movement makes his throwing base unbalanced, throws off his back foot while retreating, throws off one foot or fades away when it isn’t necessary, accuracy and ball placement vary at all levels of the field, ball placement is behind receivers crossing the MOF, misses wide open receivers, doesn’t lead receivers away from defenders, ball placement is extremely erratic, accuracy on the run is poor, makes poor decisions under pressure, gets stuck in his progressions, stares down receivers, vision doesn’t reveal open receivers when he’s scrambling, late getting to open receivers, arm strength doesn’t unlock the deep third consistently, pocket presence comes and goes, took 104 sacks over the past two years, will deal with injuries if he keeps taking that many hits, needs to let plays die and throw the ball away, puts the ball in harm’s way by throwing to players who aren’t open, occasionally makes the wrong decision on RPOs, ten fumbles in 2022, doesn’t always sense backside pressure, takes some brutal hits, durability concerns

Overview: Thompson-Robinson took official measurements at the NFL Combine. He’s 6014 and weighs 203 lbs. He has 9 7/8-inch hands, 30 5/8-inch arms, and a 74 6/8-inch wingspan. Thompson-Robinson made 50 career appearances at UCLA. The older prospect has a smooth throwing motion and throws a tight spiral. He shortens his throwing motion and adjusts his release slot as needed. The redshirt senior throws with good touch and velocity on short routes but lacks the arm talent to unlock the deep third consistently. He layers the ball between the second and third levels. Thompson-Robinson is comfortable throwing on the run and creating off-platform. He delivers throws in the face of pressure and is unafraid of contact. There are very few players who display his level of toughness. Thompson-Robinson gained experience working through full-field reads in a timely manner at UCLA, but his receivers often let him down by dropping catchable throws or failing to get open. Thompson-Robinson has the mobility to extend plays and creates with his legs at a high level. His speed challenges linebackers to the edge, and the Nevada native gashes defenses for long runs when left alone. He is a dynamic and elusive runner who reads and uses his blockers well. Unfortunately, Thompson-Robinson’s accuracy and ball placement are highly erratic at all levels of the field. He doesn’t lead receivers away from defenders or throw with anticipation consistently. The former All-Pac-12 selection puts passes behind his targets or throws too high. His accuracy on the run is poor, and he makes bad decisions under pressure. Thompson-Robinson occasionally misses wide open receivers, leaving chunk plays on the field. He gets stuck on a read and stares down receivers. His vision doesn’t reveal open receivers when he’s scrambling, and he’s often late to locate the open look. Thompson-Robinson’s throwing motion takes too long at its apex. His footwork in the pocket is poor, which leads to him throwing with an inconsistent base. He frequently throws while fading away or without setting his feet for no reason. The former four-star recruit took 104 sacks over the past two years. He needs to throw the ball away more often to avoid taking the massive hits that will lead to injury concerns at the next level. Thompson-Robinson puts the ball in harm’s way by throwing to players who aren’t open. He fumbled ten times in 2022. His lean frame and playing style will lead to durability concerns.

Overall, Thompson-Robinson is an athletic quarterback with traits perfectly suited for the modern game, but he hasn’t developed the accuracy, ball placement, and decision-making over 49 appearances at UCLA to warrant a high selection. He’s worth taking as an upside bet late in the draft.

Role & Scheme Fit: Backup QB in a rhythm-based offense

Round Projection: Sixth Round

Player Comparison: N/A

Submitted: 04-15-23