While most people believe that Tom Brady’s successor is in this year’s draft, don’t let the name Jake Fromm fool you from the fact that Jalen Hurts is not only a better option but a more realistic option in this year’s draft.
The Scope Ahead
In this year’s draft, the Bengals, Panthers, Dolphins, and Raiders pick at Nos. at 1, 5, 7, and 12, respectively, and all are at least looking or will definitely draft a quarterback. The Patriots’ pick is currently at No. 23, barring any surprise trade from Belichick and co. With that being said, it puts the Patriots out of contention for Burrow, Tua, and Herbert. If for some reason any of the 22 teams ahead like Fromm, the Patriots simply won’t trade up.
The Comparisons
Fromm, a junior out of Georgia, has built quite a reputation during his college career. In 2019, his 2,860 yards (which rank 46th), 24 touchdowns (T-28th), five interceptions (T-10th) and 60.8 completion percentage along with his 141.2 passer rating made him stand out, but he is not an elite QB in the NCAA. In total, the 8,224 yards, 78 touchdowns, and 18 interceptions during his college career paints quite a picture.
Jaylen Hurts, however, is seen as a bigger question mark due to his time in Alabama with his battles for the lead job with Tua Tagovailoa. In his first season at Oklahoma during 2019, his 3,851 passing yards (eighth), 32 touchdowns (T-11th) and eight interceptions (T- 55th) all show how dangerous of a passer he can be. He is also known as a dual-threat quarterback and has a better passer rating (191.2) and completion percentage (69.7) than Fromm. That’s in addition to his almost 1,300 rushing yards and 20 rushing touchdowns. A total of 9,477 yards, 80 touchdowns, and 20 interceptions on his college resume shows the underestimated value of a guy like Hurts.
Dual-threat quarterbacks have been all the rage since the likes of Cam Newton, Robert Griffin III, and Lamar Jackson burst onto the scene. While each of them had their own issues and injuries to derail their careers, NFL coaches and affiliates have a better understanding of how to protect these pocket chasers better. This can only improve when more dual-threat signal-callers enter the league.
The Patriots have not shied away from drafting a dual-threat quarterback before. The names Jacoby Brissett and even Jimmy Garoppolo are both quality starters in the league today. Both players had accuracy concerns before entering the draft but this is something that can be fixed by working alongside an NFL elite such as Tom Brady.
In conclusion, while both quarterbacks could be used in the New England Patriots’ system, it is pretty clear to see that Jalen Hurts is a better quarterback than Jake Fromm.
