I know dragons are cool, iconic, and the actual creatures are generally quite powerful. I get they're the big bad monster grand-daddies of the original game. But, is the name or image worth so much, that the mechanics have to be gimped?
The thing is, we're talking about subjective opinions here. A Bloodrager with the Draconic bloodline can take on the form a large chromatic or metallic dragon. The +6 size bonus to Strength, +4 size bonus to Constitution, and +6 natural armor bonus almost certainly boost such a character's Strength, Constitution, and AC above those of a CR15 size huge adult gold dragon. You get 80% of the breath weapon, aren't nearly as fast while flying but much more maneuverable, and have to rely on spells to gain some of the protections dragons enjoy (others are out of reach until 20th level).
Is that character punished? I don't think so, but you may feel otherwise.
Most reviews I read of dragon themed or powered options for PC's are almost always underpowered, prohibitively expensive in trade, or limited to the point of near uselessness.
I guess what I would ask if whether that reflects the reviews you've read or your own opinion of the actual archetypes, class features, etc., out there.
Bloodrager into dragon disciple PRC is a little more dragon-like and not a bad combination. Really, sorcerer into dragon disciple isn’t bad, but comes with a near requirement to take all of the prestigious spellcaster feats.
The dragon companions are typically underpowered for combat, though the dragon familiars are good little helpers.
Are you comparing the character to other character or to actual dragons? If you are comparing the character to other characters, there are numerous dragon themed options that are decent. If you are comparing it to actual dragons of course the character will seem underpowered.
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But, more generally, I've always wondered a bit why high level shape shifting type characters aren't able to become fully powered versions of the creatures they can become, like dragons. When you're high enough level to surpass a creature's CR, shouldn't you be able to just be that creature? Or is my understanding of the theory not matching the actual mechanics at those levels?
Because that's been done in the past and it didn't work out well...
Past the early levels in D&D3.0, a caster could match a martial build in melee combat with a handful of spell and/or class buffs, leading players to ask 'why play a fighter when I could play a CoDZilla* instead?' Each evolution of the game since then has been dialing the casters back so they can't easily fill every role in a party at the same time.
*CoD being 'Cleric or Druid' who both had a strong chassis and powerful buffs that kinda made the fighter obsolete.
A fundamental item you are missing is that CR is not based on a single character's power but rather against a whole party of characters for just a single encounter. An NPC dragon's breath weapon is balanced against getting one or two uses before it dies or flees, while a PC Dragon's breath weapon needs to be balanced against being used once or twice per encounter.
Throw in the fact that the PC doesn't actually lose their other abilities (casters still have their spell slots) and shapeshifting spells/abilities become an overpowering option really quickly...
Reviews I've read.
I would urge you to read the source material yourself. Failing that, limit yourself to guides and reviews written by people who actually tried out the concepts in question. A lot of times, people are just offering subjective, hypothetical opinions, without having actually played a class, archetype, etc.
Drake companions ...
This falls under the game balance aspect that others have brought up already. Just as a PC won't get everything a dragon gets because they would then have all that AND everything else their class gives them (in the hypothetical draconic bloodline bloodrager's case, that includes 10 feats, spells, and the core class features as well), a full-on Drake as a companion would break the game. It would be almost like having two PCs--see discussions re: the Leadership feat for the inherent challenges it poses to a GM.
... and Dragon Shifters come to mind immediately.
The Dragonblood Shifter is an odd case in that it fails (IMHO) not so much in not making the PC a full-on Dragon (which, again, would pose a game balance issue) but in not being balanced against other full BAB classes. It's thematically very cool, but it doesn't really pay off (again, IMHO) until 14th level--when you get access to Form of the Dragon II. But so much of this game comes down to the numerical modifiers you get to add to your rolls... and I'm not sure that what the Dragonblood Shifter gets by that point (plus scent, energy resistance, and a +4 bonus to saves against sleep and paralysis effects) doesn't really stack up to what a 14th level Fighter could have--never mind what a Dragon does.
One of the "better" ways (IMO) to realize "be[ing] a dragon" (as a baseline PC, instead of playing as a monster PC with class levels) is to jump through a few hoops via multi-classing and prestige classes to get both spells and combat ability:
1) [barbarian or paladin] 2/sorcerer (Draconic) 3/dragon disciple 4/eldritch knight 10/sorcerer +1 for BAB +17 and spell progression as a 16th level sorcerer (8th-level spells for access to form of the dragon III);
2) fighter 1/arcanist (likely blood arcanist, but not required; Powerful Change from brown fur transmuter might also be something to look at) 4/skald (spell warrior for Enhance Weapons weapon song)* 1/dragon disciple (advance arcanist spellcasting) 4/eldritch knight 10 ends up with BAB +16 and spell progression as a 16th level arcanist; a bit less BAB, but the arcanist can learn more spells (spellbook) and switch the ones prepared each day;
3) fighter 1/wizard (likely Transmutation/Shapechange school) 4/skald (spell warrior) 1/dragon disciple (advance wizard spellcasting) 4/eldritch knight 10 for BAB +16 and spell progression as a 16th level wizard. If you want to jump through more hoops to get Favored Prestige Class and Prestigious Spellcaster, you can increase wizard spell progression to 17th for 9th-level spells.
*- note, the requirement for the dragon disciple PrC is "ability to cast 1st-level arcane spells without preparation" (emphasis mine), not just spontaneous casting slots, and "an arcanist must prepare her spells ahead of time."