As uncertainty looms about the future of New England Patriots signal-callers, there has been a major emphasis put on the draft for the first time in a while.
With that uncertainty in mind, it seems all but inevitable that Bill Belichick and co. will select a quarterback at some point. The only question that remains: Who will that quarterback be?
After moving out of No. 23 by way of a trade with the Los Angeles Chargers, the Patriots missed out on taking Utah State gunslinger Jordan Love––taken 26th overall by the Green Bay Packers. However, this is one of the most offensive-heavy drafts in quite some time, and the middle rounds could be a perfect time to find the heir to Tom Brady.
Names stemming from Jacob Eason to Jalen Hurts all the way to Ben DiNucci have bounced around on the presumptive Patriots’ draft board––though nobody ever truly knows what Bill Belichick’s plan is. But there’s one quarterback in mind that makes too much sense for the Patriots to pass up in the third round.
That quarterback is Jake Fromm out of the University of Georgia.
Fromm was a three-year starter at Georgia, even beating out the aforementioned Eason as a freshman. As a result, Eason wound up transferring to Washington while his replacement was busy anchoring a perennial playoff participant.
In Fromm’s three years as a Bulldog, he completed 63.3 percent of his passes for 8,236 yards and 78 touchdowns. He also did a good job of not turning the ball over, throwing just 18 interceptions in his 983 attempts––featuring a steady decline from seven his freshman year down to five his junior year.
He also had a record of 36-7 and brought Georgia to their first National Championship since they won it all in 1980.
But why does Fromm make the most sense for the Patriots?
For starters, he’s incredibly accurate, especially in the short-to-intermediate game––which was Tom Brady’s bread and butter after the Randy Moss era. Yes, it comes at the cost of a lot of big-chunk plays because he lacks the necessary arm strength to play with a “bombs away” attitude.
Second, Fromm has continuity in the Patriots offense as both Sony Michel and Isaiah Wynn were teammates of his at one point. Perhaps bringing back two main components of his National Championship-participating offense could help him unlock his full potential.
According to The Draft Network, Fromm’s best ability is his decision-making and also his ability to make something happen when his first read isn’t there. He’s great at adjusting under center and reading opposing defenses, as shown by his low turnover numbers.
He also scored a 35 on the Wonderlic exam, which ranked third amongst draft-eligible quarterbacks.
The drawbacks include a lack of fire on his deep-ball, which will leave him prone to an increase in turnovers as NFL defensive backs are a lot hungrier for the football than in college––and definitely have more talent. He also has the tendency to not step into his throws and often struggles to evade pressure.
For a team like New England with a suspect offensive line at best, at least last year, it might pose as a red-flag. However, his scouting report is almost identical to that of Tom Brady coming out of college.
Fromm, as it stands, projects as a mid-third-round pick but some mocks project him to slide into the fourth round. For a team that, after the trade with Los Angeles, has seven picks between the second and fourth rounds, they can afford to take a “safe” choice in Jake Fromm. Scouts dub him as a “getting on base” prospect versus guys you’d consider to be “home runs” (ie. Tua Tagovailoa, Joe Burrow, or Justin Herbert).
But if you’re looking for a player to best replace Tom Brady with a similar playstyle, Jake Fromm makes perfect sense––more than a Jalen Hurts or Jacob Eason selection would be.
