Robert Griffin III Compares 2024 NFL Draft Prospects To Your Favorite Dragon Ball Z Characters - Athlon Sports Skip to main content

Robert Griffin III Compares 2024 NFL Draft Prospects To Your Favorite Dragon Ball Z Characters

The world lost a treasure when Dragon Ball Z creator Akira Toriyama passed away in early 2024. The beloved Japanese cartoon’s culture permeates through sports, music, and other pop culture references in America today. As the NFL Draft rolls around, instead of comparing prospects to their NFL counterparts, Robert Griffin III decided to honor the DBZ legacy with a unique comparison of his own for fans of the legendary show.

“Dragon Ball Z is the Greatest Anime of All Time and I love football. So in honor of Akira Toriyama, I decided to work with an artist to bring both worlds together for the #NFLDraft,” Robert Griffin III posted on X ahead of his first few comparisons on Monday.

Robert Griffin III.

Robert Griffin III released the first three comparisons as part of his NFL Draft X Dragon Ball Z series.

He made three comparisons on Monday, all for potential first-round quarterback selections, starting with Michael Penix Jr.

“Michael Penix Jr. is PICCOLO. They needed time to show their true colors and were given up on by most. Too many injuries. Too much Namekian pride. All they needed was someone to believe in them and use their special beam cannon for good,” he analyzed on X.

RGIII considers Penix to be the most ‘pure pocket passer’ out of all the QBs in the draft.

Griffin’s next target was the quarterback who defeated Penix in the national championship game, and no it’s not Son Kun.

“JJ McCarthy is Android 17. Both go through a maturation process to learn there is a more efficient way to get the job done and still be dynamic when you have to be. They have zero doubt in their ability and are there when you need them,” he wrote.

Just like Androit 17, Griffin feels McCarthy is loaded with untapped potential with the confidence to unlock it at the next level.

Finally, Griffin compared another potential first-round passer to another member of the DBZ android family.

“Bo Nix is Android 16. Both misunderstood and judged after their 1st appearances. A change of scenery and finding their people made all the difference and woke up the beast within them to become machine like in their execution,” Griffin posted on X.

Griffin appreciates Nix’s ability to execute efficiently the most.