UCLA QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson Takes the Field at NFL Combine
The Bruins' all-time leading passer may be bigger, faster and stronger than anticipated.
UCLA football quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson finally took the field at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine on Saturday. The Bruins' five-year starting quarterback already spoke with the media and several NFL teams since arriving in Indianapolis, but his measurements and athletic abilities became the storyline as the pre-draft event rolled along.
To start the day, Thompson-Robinson measured in at 6-foot-2, 203 pounds with 30 5/8-inch arms and 9 7/8-inch hands. Thompson-Robinson was listed at 6-foot-1, 205 pounds at UCLA this season, when he racked up 3,169 passing yards, 27 passing touchdowns, 645 rushing yards and 12 rushing touchdowns.
Thompson-Robinson is still on the smaller side, but he is notably taller than Alabama's Bryce Young, Georgia's Stetson Bennett IV, Louisville's Malik Cunningham, TCU's Max Duggan and Fresno State's Jake Haener.
Later in the afternoon, Thompson-Robinson ran the 40-yard dash and put up unofficial times of 4.57 and 4.56 seconds.
Thompson-Robinson's fourth-ranked time was a fraction of a second behind Cunningham and Duggan's, but they were almost entirely overshadowed by Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson's 4.43-second time. Thompson-Robinson's time would have ranked second behind Desmond Ridder in 2022, second behind Justin Fields in 2021 and first in 2020, 2019 and 2018, but Richardson one-upped him by recording the fourth-fastest 40 time by a quarterback in combine history.
Both Thompson-Robinson and Cunningham had 1.51-second 10-yard splits, which tied the record for quarterbacks.
Ironically, the hurdle-happy Thompson-Robinson's 32.5-inch vertical leap ranked No. 8 of the nine quarterbacks, although his 10-foot-1 broad jump ranked No. 4 at the position. Richardson, meanwhile, led the way with his vertical and broad jumps.
Thompson-Robinson threw a slightly faster ball than Richardson, maxing out at 62 miles per hour. That was the fastest throw at the event, and it tied Josh Allen's record for fastest throw ever recorded at the combine.
In the route tree drills, Thompson-Robinson was perfect on slants and the intermediate outs, went 2-for-3 on deep corners and was again perfect on short snags. Thompson-Robinson threw it low to the right sideline, and fell victim to a few dropped passes on curls, but he recovered by the end of each set.
The deep ball gave Thompson-Robinson some trouble, underthrowing it on his first attempt, but he improved with each try and ended the drill with a perfect ball. The coaches advised him to slow things down when it came to the goal line fade drill, and he closed the day with a few perfect lob passes.
When he spoke with the media Friday, Thompson-Robinson revealed that the San Francisco 49ers and Arizona Cardinals were among the teams he had met with in Indianapolis. Thompson-Robinson may not be slated as a first rounder on those team's boards, but he appears to have done enough at the combine to warrant a mid-round draft pick.
Wide receiver Jake Bobo also took the field for drills earlier in the day, although he did not run the 40-yard dash or participate in the vertical leap or broad jump. The former Duke transfer measured in at 6-foot-4, 206 pounds with 32 1/4-inch arms and 10-inch hands.
Bobo aced the gauntlet drill in what little on-field action he did get, drawing plenty of praise online in the process.
Running back Zach Charbonnet and offensive lineman Jon Gaines II also spoke with the media Saturday, and they will take the field for measurements, tests and drills on Sunday.
Follow Connon on Twitter at @SamConnon
Follow All Bruins on Twitter at @FN_AllBruins
Like All Bruins on Facebook at @FN.AllBruins
Subscribe to All Bruins on YouTube
Read more UCLA stories: UCLA Bruins on Sports Illustrated
Read more UCLA football stories: UCLA Football on Sports Illustrated
