Jamie Newman 2021 NFL Draft Overview
Position: Quarterback
Height: 6’3”
Weight: 230 lbs
School: Georgia/Wake Forest
2021 NFL Draft: Jamie Newman Player Profile
In an NFL Draft class chock full of big-name quarterbacks, Georgia’s Jamie Newman is flying under the radar. That’s mostly because the senior opted out of the 2020 season to prepare for the NFL Draft. He never took a snap for the Bulldogs. Newman is banking on his three years (one as a starter) at Wake Forest to be enough to tempt a team into taking him.
A three-star prospect, Newman was ranked as the 17th dual-threat quarterback back in 2016 and had very little interest from the bigger programs. That’s because as a senior he threw just 12 touchdowns to eight interceptions while completing 50.3 percent of his passes. He even had fewer passing attempts (81) than he did rushes (99); reinforcing his dual-threat status.
Newman got a taste as the starter for the Deacons for the final four games in 2018 passing for 1008 yards, nine touchdowns, and three picks with three rushing scores as well. He was even named MVP of the Birmingham Bowl that season. As the full-time starter in 2019, he threw for 2868 yards, 26 scores, and 11 picks. Wake Forest was 7-4 in the regular season and fell to Michigan State in the Pinstripe Bowl; a game that saw Newman complete just 44 percent of his passes for 175 yards in the loss, though he did toss three touchdowns to just one pick.
Strengths
- Prototypical size for a quarterback
- Good athlete
- Physical runner
- Strong enough arm
- Solid leadership/intangibles
Weaknesses
- Accuracy; 60.5 collegiate career completion percentage
- Inexperienced as a one-year starter
- Poor footwork/mechanics
- Wasn’t asked to make many reads
- Can hold the ball too long
NFL Comparison: Jacoby Brissett
Newman knows himself. He’s thrown out Donovan McNabb and Steve McNair as comparisons for his game and they are fairly decent. Both are solidly built with good athleticism and arm strength but questions about their accuracy coming out of college. They are also clearly ceiling projections whereas Jacoby Brissett might be a happy medium as a strong, athletic passer who can make all the throws but does have issues with touch. His accuracy has relegated him to backup duty but he got a shot at starting so Newman could do much worse.
Teams in Need at the Position: Chicago Bears, Carolina Panthers, Denver Broncos, New York Jets, Jacksonville Jaguars, San Francisco 49ers, Washington Football Team
Projection: mid-4th Round
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Bottom Line on Jamie Newman
Neman has all the physical traits you could want from a quarterback in today’s NFL. He just has to prove he can develop as a passer to truly be successful. There will also be questions about his decision to opt-out of the 2020 season. Doing so because of COVID concerns is one thing. To do it after USC transfer JT Daniels was allowed instant eligibility is another. He could have used the extra year of play and while his performance at the Reese’s Senior Bowl was alright (10/14, 114 yards, 1:1), it’s not likely to have boosted his stock.
This will come down to the right situation. It’s hard to imagine a team would do so willingly, but rushing Newman onto the field too soon could prove disastrous. But if he can go to a team with an established veteran and work on his craft, Newman could be a steal down the road. A situation like Pittsburgh could even work if Ben Roethlisberger decides to hang on.
Main Photo:
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