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2017 NFL Draft Day 3 Update, Selections: Only 4 quarterbacks taken on final day

By Tom Musick, The Sports Xchange
Overall view of the NFL Draft Theater during the 2017 NFL Draft in Philadelphia, PA on April 27, 2017. The 82nd NFL Draft returned to Philadelphia for the first time in more than 50 years and runs from April 27-29. Photo by Derik Hamilton/UPI
Overall view of the NFL Draft Theater during the 2017 NFL Draft in Philadelphia, PA on April 27, 2017. The 82nd NFL Draft returned to Philadelphia for the first time in more than 50 years and runs from April 27-29. Photo by Derik Hamilton/UPI | License Photo

The Pittsburgh Steelers, Buffalo Bills, Detroit Lions and Denver Broncos added quarterbacks Saturday on the third and final day of the 2017 NFL Draft.

The Steelers picked Tennessee signal-caller Joshua Dobbs with the 29th pick of the fourth round to join a position group that includes Ben Roethlisberger and Landry Jones. Dobbs, who will graduate in May with an aerospace engineering degree, passed for 27 touchdowns and 2,946 yards in the SEC last season.

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The Bills turned to Nathan Peterman with the 28th pick of the fifth round. Peterman transferred from Tennessee to Pitt two seasons ago after losing out to Dobbs on the Volunteers' depth chart.

In Buffalo, Peterman could compete with quarterbacks Cardale Jones and T.J. Yates for backup jobs behind starter Tyrod Taylor. Peterman threw 47 touchdowns and 15 interceptions in two years at Pitt.

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The Lions added Brad Kaaya of Miami with the 32nd pick of the sixth round. Kaaya passed for more than 3,000 yards in each of his three seasons with the Hurricanes before renouncing his final year of eligibility.

Chad Kelly of Mississippi was the final quarterback -- and the final player, also known as Mr. Irrelevant -- selected in the draft. The Broncos picked up Kelly with the 253rd pick. Kelly is the nephew of Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly, who shined in 11 seasons with Buffalo.

On a day when only four quarterbacks were selected, teams scrambled to stack their roster with other skill positions. A total of 14 running backs and wide receivers were selected in the fourth round alone.

The Washington Redskins made Oklahoma's Samaje Perine the first running back selected Saturday. Perine topped 1,000 yards in each of his three seasons with the Sooners, where he played alongside fellow draft pick Joe Mixon (second round, Cincinnati Bengals) in 2016.

Another notable running back to hear his name called on the final day was Clemson's Wayne Gallman (fourth round, New York Giants). Gallman rushed for 17 touchdowns last year as the Tigers won the national championship.

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The top two wide receivers to go off the board Saturday were Dede Westbrook of Oklahoma (fourth round, Jacksonville Jaguars) and Josh Reynolds of Texas A&M (fourth round, Los Angeles Rams). The Dallas Cowboys selected North Carolina slot receiver Ryan Switzer later in the round on the heels of a 1,112-yard campaign.

Westbrook could deliver both intrigue and controversy to Jaguars training camp this summer. He was named as a Heisman Trophy finalist after racking up 1,524 passing yards and 17 touchdowns in 2016. However, he has been arrested twice amid allegations of domestic violence.

On the opposite side of the ball, Auburn outside linebacker Carl Lawson finally heard his name called. The Bengals added the edge rusher with the ninth pick of the fourth round. The 6-foot-2, 255-pounder racked up nine sacks last season and was projected by some experts as a possible second-round choice.

Safety Eddie Jackson was the 10th player from Alabama selected when the Bears made him a fourth-round pick.

Utah set a school record with eight players drafted, including five players on the final day. Guard Isaac Asiata (fifth round, Miami Dolphins), center J.J. Dielman (fifth round, Bengals) and offensive tackle Sam Tevi (sixth round, Los Angeles Chargers) joined Broncos first-rounder Garett Bolles as Utes linemen to be picked.

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The draft's final hours included a bit of monkey business. The Indianapolis Colts hosted their Saturday draft party at the Indianapolis Zoo, where orangutans Azy and Rocky hit a touch screen that announced the team's fourth-round selections.

Take note, trivia buffs: Who was the first player in history to learn his NFL fate from a hairy ape? That would be Zach Banner, an offensive tackle from USC who stands 6 feet 8 and weighs 353 pounds.

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