Fifth Round (Pick No. 158)
Dorian Thompson-Robinson – QB (UCLA)
Selecting a quarterback is something many Vikings fans would like their favorite team to do in the first round of this year’s NFL Draft. But unless someone falls into their lap, Minnesota doesn’t really have the resources to end up with one of the elite passing prospects in this year’s draft pool.
With that being said, it’s never a bad idea to take use a late-round draft pick to take a chance on a quarterback, especially someone with the athleticism that Dorian Thompson-Robinson possesses.
Thompson-Robinson ended up spending five seasons at UCLA under head coach Chip Kelly. The NFL hasn’t exactly treated quarterbacks who spent their college careers in a Kelly offense very well. Perhaps the outcome could be different for Thompson-Robinson though.
Despite being in an offense that isn’t known to help quarterbacks prepare for the NFL, Thompson-Robinson has multiple traits that a knowledgeable offensive staff could use to help mold him into a successful pro quarterback.
In 2022, he completed 69.6 percent of his passes for 3,169 yards, 27 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions while also rushing for 645 yards and 12 touchdowns. So he definitely has displayed a dual-threat ability that is starting to become desired by more teams around the NFL.
Adding Thompson-Robinson in the fifth round is the kind of low-risk, high-reward selection that Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah lives for. Few things would make likely make him happier than to see a fifth-round quarterback that he drafted turn into a reliable starter down the road.