Josh Dobbs Drafted by Steelers; Top Twitter Takes to 4th-Round Pick

The Pittsburgh Steelers may have landed their heir apparent to Ben Roethlisberger. The Steelers selected Tennessee quarterback Josh Dobbs with the No. 135 pick in the 2017 NFL draft on Saturday in hopes he can develop into a long-term option.

The reaction to this pick was mixed with discussion of Dobbs' long-term potential and a stat from ESPN's Adam Schefter that might give Steelers fans hope:

Dobbs, 22, threw for 2,946 yards and 27 touchdowns against 12 interceptions last season at Tennessee. He also added 831 yards and 12 scores on the ground.

The Steelers' desire to add a quarterback this offseason was understandable, given Roethlisberger's public discussion of retirement. Roethlisberger admitted to contemplating stepping away from the game in January, though the eventual announcement of his return did not come as much of a surprise.

Pittsburgh has Roethlisberger under contract through the 2019 season, which would take him through his 37th birthday. It's possible Roethlisberger will choose to step away at some point in those next three years, which would open the door for Dobbs to take over while still playing on his rookie contract.

Dobbs also has Tennessee ties with future Hall of Famer Peyton Manning, with whom he maintains a texting relationship. 

"I would text Peyton throughout his career, and he would respond on a constant basis," Dobbs told Emily Kaplan of TheMMQB.com. "I know it's rare, and I learned how to take advantage of the connection. But you can't give away too many of his secrets, or you might not have that relationship."

Suffice it to say, this isn't a bad pedigree to get for a quarterback in the fourth round.