Why Quarterback-Needy Teams Should Consider Jamie Newman on Day 2 of 2021 Draft

As we see the rise of athletic quarterbacks such as Deshaun Watson and Josh Allen, prospects who have intriguing physical tools will come into focus during the draft evaluation process. You can add Jamie Newman to that incoming group. 

When you turn on Jamie Newman's film, two aspects of his game will jump off the screen immediately. He throws a beautiful deep ball with good accuracy. According to Sports Info Solutions (starts at 2:30), the big-armed quarterback had a 67 percent on-target rate for pass attempts that went 20 or more yards downfield in 2019. 

You'll also notice Newman can pound a QB draw up the middle, operate the run-pass option (RPO) or tuck and run with the ball when defenders close on his receivers downfield. 

At times, Newman finished as Wake Forest's best ball-carrier, eclipsing 101 yards on the ground twice during the 2019 term. He's a dynamic playmaker who will force contain defenders on the edge to make a choice between keying in on the quarterback or tailback at the line of scrimmage. If they choose incorrectly, Newman could burst through the middle or bounce outside for a big gain.

After three years at Wake Forest, Newman transferred to Georgia but opted out of the 2020 campaign because of COVID-19 concerns. One year removed from a meaningful football game, he's a tough evaluation, so his performance during Senior Bowl week in Mobile, Alabama, could significantly help or hurt his draft stock.

Through the first three days of Senior Bowl practices, he's shown flashes of those aforementioned strengths but also had some missteps as well. 

Newman isn't afraid to throw into tight windows. That's a good trait because he won't see too many wide-open receivers on the pro level. On Wednesday, Newman tossed a laser across the middle while shaking off some rust. Joe Person of The Athletic picked up the action:

Newman's ability to flick the ball downfield without the cleanest mechanics will leave you in awe. Andrew Mason of DNVR and ESPN's Turron Davenport saw the arm strength right away:

For someone who missed a year of action, Newman looked good out of the gate. He worked out independently to stay in rhythm, per NFL.com's Chase Goodbread.

"He threw five days a week with his private quarterback coach, Quincy Avery, and has stayed in top physical shape," Goodbread wrote. 

Newman also spent some time with Watson of the Houston Texans.

"I had the pleasure of sitting down with Deshaun Watson a couple times, learning how he game-plans," Newman said. "That was a special opportunity."

Newman can certainly take some cues from the three-time Pro Bowler. Like most prospects, his technique needs work because pure athleticism alone won't lead to big plays in the NFL.

On Wednesday, Newman made some mistakes that resulted in interceptions. He tried to thread the needle on a pass over the middle but turned the ball over: 

In attendance for Senior Bowl week, John Schmeelk of the New York Giants' official website noted Newman threw consecutive interceptions on Day 2 of practices.

At times, Newman's confidence in his arm leads to trouble. Some of his 11 interceptions in 2019 can be attributed to that. He also needs to put more touch on passes over the middle—a low, tight throw allows linebackers to knock down passes or tip balls into the air. 

In the pocket, Newman will also need to speed up his processor when going through progressions and let the ball go with anticipation, which will reduce his stare-down throws similar to the one Jordan Reid of The Draft Network highlighted below: 

With one year at Georgia, Newman could've cleaned up some of his weak areas, but he'll likely work through the finer details with his quarterback coach before pro-day workouts. While intriguing, the 6'2", 235-pound signal-caller seems like a Day 2 prospect who will likely learn the intricacies of the position in a backup role for a year or two unless he's impressive at training camp. 

Which teams should target him in Rounds 2 and 3?

In 2020, the New England Patriots went through an experiment with Cam Newton, who had to use his legs to compensate for a lack of perimeter offensive weapons. He threw for eight touchdowns and 10 interceptions but also ran for 592 yards and 12 scores. 

Newman could mirror Newton's rushing production. The Patriots can sign a top wide receiver such as Allen Robinson II or Kenny Golladay and perhaps select Florida tight end Kyle Pitts to help him out in the passing game. New England forfeited its third-round pick for filming a game between the Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns during the 2019 campaign, so Newman would be a second-round option for Bill Belichick and Co.

Chris Szagola/Associated Press

Washington Football Team quarterback Alex Smith will ponder his future with two years left on his contract. If he returns, Newman can learn under him as Patrick Mahomes did for a year in Kansas City. 

Let's not compare Mahomes to Newman, but the former attributed his early career growth to Smith. The latter could follow the same path to a starting role without much pressure to play as a rookie. 

Washington can retain Kyle Allen, who's an exclusive rights free agent, on a tender as a stopgap quarterback until Newman proves ready to take over the job. The club can also re-sign restricted free agent Taylor Heinicke, who threw for 306 yards, a touchdown and an interception in the club's wild-card loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The Pittsburgh Steelers don't have a quarterback on the books beyond the 2021 season. According to The Athletic's Ed Bouchette, Ben Roethlisberger is willing to restructure his contract and play out the final year of his deal.

With Roethlisberger going into his age-39 term, the Steelers should stockpile talent at the position. In the first or second round, they can select a lead running back to replace James Conner and then pick up Newman, who would have time behind Roethlisberger to progress in preparation for a quarterback battle in 2022.

With a good coaching staff, Newman can use his physical tools to electrify an offense. Quarterback-needy teams that miss out on the top prospects should take a swing on him as a high-potential developmental pick.