Why did Jake Fromm fall in NFL Draft? Here’s what the pundits said about it
Jake Fromm’s slide was one of the top developments of this year’s NFL Draft.
The wait finally came to an end Saturday when the Warner Robins native was selected by the Buffalo Bills in the fifth round of the draft.
“I hated it a little more for my family than for me,” Fromm told Bills reporters of the long wait to be selected. “The waiting’s been tough. It has been a little longer than expected, but I’m so excited, so blessed. There’s only so many people who get this opportunity to get that phone call.”
With seven other quarterbacks drafted before him, the question remained: Why did one of the best quarterbacks in Georgia history have to wait so long to hear his name called? He wasn’t expected to be one of the first quarterbacks picked, but many also expected Fromm to go earlier than he did.
Fromm was Twitter’s highest NFL Draft trending topic Saturday afternoon. He was listed as ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper’s best available prospect for more than an hour before he was chosen.
Draft experts weighed in on Fromm’s stock.
ESPN’s Louis Riddick noted that NFL organizations look for “coachable traits” when evaluating quarterbacks. Evaluators like Fromm’s smarts, but physical tools ultimately wind up winning out.
Such was the case with Jacob Eason, the former Georgia and Washington quarterback who was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the fourth round.
“It’s a gamble when you’re talking about a guy like Eason compared to Fromm from a dependability and a maturity standpoint, but this is the game that we play in the scouting world,” Riddick said. “It’s all about what do you want. Do you want upside or do you want the safe pick? Right now, people are banking on the upside.”
Riddick also said some of Fromm’s more tangible traits, such as his ability to locate the ball precisely on his throws and his “horsepower” when throwing the ball, were contributing to his slide.
Those traits showed up at the 2020 NFL Combine, an event that ESPN’s Mel Kiper, Jr., said did Fromm no favors.
That’s not to say there isn’t hope for late-round picks. NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah compared Fromm to Jake Delhomme, who started 96 games in his 11-year NFL career and led the Carolina Panthers to a berth in Super Bowl XXXVIII.
However, some teams that had been rumored to be in the quarterback market passed on Fromm.
ESPN’s Chris Mortenson reported the New Orleans Saints had been interested in Fromm, but they started Saturday with no picks. The Colts had also been interested in Fromm, according to Mortenson, but they selected Eason.
In the end, teams were left to figure out whether Fromm will develop into a late-round success story or be another quarterback who couldn’t overcome his physical limitations.
“You look at Jake Fromm, size and arm, not impressive,” Kiper Jr. said. “Is Jake Fromm Aaron Murray, Eric Zeier? Or is he Andy Dalton or somewhere in between? That’s what teams are trying to figure out.”
In the end, it was the Bills that figured Fromm could benefit their squad. Fromm said he first thought it was a joke when the call from Buffalo general manager Brandon Beane showed up on his phone.
In the call with Buffalo reporters, Fromm said he’s always been a player that’s been counted out due to his underwhelming physical tools. However, he said no matter what his role will be, he’s coming to help however he can.
“For me, it’s just showing up to work, competing and doing whatever I can to help the team win,” Fromm said. “I’m excited to do that again here at this level. I’m super excited to get with my new teammates and learn and build relationships and ultimately play NFL football because that’s what the dream’s about.”
This story was originally published April 25, 2020 at 3:03 PM.