Whether or not Tom Brady returns, the New England Patriots need to think about investing in the quarterback position. The only quarterback currently on the roster is fourth-round rookie Jarrett Stidham, who admittedly looked good in the 2018 preseason. However, if the Patriots feel Stidham isn’t the guy, they could invest the 23rd overall pick in quarterback Jake Fromm.
New England Patriots NFL Draft Targets: Jake Fromm
The Good
Jake Fromm is one of the most cerebral quarterbacks in the NFL Draft and always knows where to go with the ball. His short-field accuracy and quick release are second to none, and he has a gift for knowing exactly when to release the ball in the optimal throwing window. Additionally, Fromm excels at taking care of the ball and playing mistake-free football. While the highlight plays aren’t always there, he does all the little things well.
https://twitter.com/DLPatsThoughts/status/1223638088578224128?s=20
Fromm is definitely a throw-first quarterback, but he’s not afraid to take off and make something happen with his legs. Nobody will confuse him for Lamar Jackson, but he possesses decent speed and is surprisingly hard to take down. Mobility will never be his calling card, but it’s a good trick to have up your sleeve.
He’s no Lamar but Fromm has decent speed and doesn’t mind taking a hit to pick up some extra yards. He’s definitely a throw-first type of guy, but he did stuff like this on a handful of occasions. Good trick to have up your sleeve pic.twitter.com/qerEtweIzB
— Dave Latham (@DLPatsThoughts) February 1, 2020
Most reports believe Fromm isn’t great at throwing the ball downfield. While that certainly isn’t his strength, I believe he’s better at it than most reports would lead you to believe. Fromm played in an obnoxiously conservative offense which rarely let him throw the ball downfield. Even when he could throw deep, his receivers were typically blanketed. Still, the vast majority of Fromm’s deep passes were on the mark, even if the pass fell incomplete. Fromm’s best game was easily against Notre Dame when the coaching staff actually allowed him to throw the ball downfield. Fromm is never going to be Patrick Mahomes, but a better coaching staff should put him in a better position to succeed on deep passes.
https://twitter.com/DLPatsThoughts/status/1223639390704033792?s=20
It’s truly astonishing how many of Fromm’s deep throws were to nonexistent windows pic.twitter.com/wLT0DkgqHY
— Dave Latham (@DLPatsThoughts) February 1, 2020
The Bad
Fromm’s biggest weakness is his subpar arm strength. The Georgia product doesn’t have the best zip on the ball and his passes sometimes take a long time to reach their intended targets. This wasn’t a major issue at the collegiate level, as college cornerbacks weren’t aware enough to take advantage of the slow passes. In the NFL, however, this could be an issue. The worst defensive back in the league is better than 99% of most collegiate defensive backs, and their improved range and awareness could be bad news for Fromm.
This is a touchdown, but this could have been a pick-six with better cornerback play. The ball is exactly where you want it to be, but it takes a while to get there.
If Fromm doesn’t pan out in the NFL, this will be why pic.twitter.com/sMmVm9xIpq
— Dave Latham (@DLPatsThoughts) February 1, 2020
This is where the relative lack of arm strength sorta shows itself. A guy with a cannon would’ve gotten it there faster, and the ball is a little bit underthrown. That said, this is another case of absolutely nobody being open downfield pic.twitter.com/WMqkACoeiK
— Dave Latham (@DLPatsThoughts) February 1, 2020
Arm strength can be overrated during the draft process. While it’s great to have the ability to throw a rocket 90 yards downfield, quarterbacks can succeed without it. There is a certain amount of arm strength required to succeed at the NFL level, and Fromm appears to cross that threshold. That said, his lack of arm strength means that he’ll have to have elite accuracy to truly thrive at the NFL level. Fromm has above-average accuracy, but he can miss a target or lack perfect ball placement. Seeing as this is entirely a physical issue, it’s hard to see this issue dramatically improving as he develops. Either he has the necessary arm strength, or he doesn’t.
Overall Evaluation of Jake Fromm
Jake Fromm represents a massive downgrade from Tom Brady, but that’s the case for literally every quarterback in the world. Ideally, Brady comes back for at least another season or two. However, if he leaves in free agency, the Patriots could do a lot worse than Jake Fromm. If nothing else, Fromm possesses an advanced ability to read a defense, manipulate coverage, and execute a game plan at a high level. He takes care of the ball and will rarely be the reason your team loses.
Some question Fromm’s ability to make plays outside a system, but I believe that to be more a product of Georgia’s underwhelming coaching. When given a chance, Fromm actually possessed above-average accuracy on deep passes. The deep passing numbers aren’t there primarily because nobody could ever get open for him and his wide receivers were objectively bad at winning jump balls.
The only thing holding Fromm back from being a sure-fire thing is his arm strength. Guys like Chad Pennington found ways to succeed with below-average arms, but he needed to be deadly precise with all of his passes. Fromm isn’t quite there yet, although his accuracy is better than most. Whether the Patriots are looking for a 2020 starter or a quarterback of the future, Jake Fromm could be the answer.
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