Aaron Dobson certainly left his mark on Marshall University. Fans enjoyed watching him pull away from defensive backs downfield, and no one will forget the acrobatic backhanded catch in the corner of the end zone against East Carolina.
There’s no question Dobson will get the chance to make an impression in the NFL. The question is how long will he have to wait for the phone call telling him which team he drafted him.
“I think his value starts somewhere late in the second round and continues through the third round,” said NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock.
Depending on which mock draft you believe, Dobson could be taken anywhere between the second and the fourth rounds. Scouts Inc. predicted the Patriots will select Dobson in the second round. FoxSports.com showed the Bills in the fourth round. NFL.com guessed Packers in the fourth, while The Bleacher Report predicted the Ravens will select Dobson in the fourth round.
Notice anything?
Those are all cold-weather teams and their interest may have something to do with Dobson’s performance during Marshall’s pro day in March. Conditions were less than ideal, with temperatures in the 20s and the wind howling at Joan C. Edwards Stadium.
“I remember being at the West Virginia pro day and Marshall’s was the day before and a lot of scouts were coming to West Virginia from Marshall and they were buzzing about how well this kid caught the ball on a 20-degree, windy day at Marshall,” recalled Mayock.
“I think that makes an impression on teams, especially the cold-weather teams. It shows them he’s used to it, it doesn’t bother him and he can actually thrive.”
Mayock said scouts like Dobson’s hands and feel he has good speed and size to be a durable receiver in the NFL.
“He’s very raw,” explained Mayock. “They didn’t ask him to do all that many things from a route perspective at Marshall, but he’s an explosive kid.”
It’s hard to not mull what could have been had Dobson’s redshirt year not been burned in the fourth quarter of a blowout against Virginia Tech. Not only would he and Rakeem Cato form a nearly unstoppable combination next season, but the South Charleston native would have had one more season to refine his skills and potentially increase his draft stock.
Nonetheless, Mayock sounded high on Dobson’s future.
“I like the kid and I think he could be a better NFL player than he was a college player,” Mayock said.
All the workouts are done and interviews completed, now the only thing left for Aaron Dobson to do is to wait for the phone call he’s dreamed about his whole life.