UPDATE: Despite the Hit, Jake Fromm's NFL Draft Stock is Worth Pursuing

Despite the recent hit that Jake Fromm's NFL Draft stock has taken, it's more than worth pursuing. We update the Georgia quarterback's draft stock and talk to scouts.

237 completions on 392 attempts for a completion percentage of 60.5%, 2674 yards, 22 touchdowns, and 9 interceptions. 

No, these are not Jake Fromm’s Junior season stats. These numbers belong to 2018 Duke Blue Devil quarterback and 6th overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, Daniel Jones. Jones has been the starter for the New York Giants for most of his rookie season and just so happens to be 25.6 million dollars richer. 

Still think Fromm, who is much more of a known product and battle-tested against the rigors of SEC defenses, is for sure returning for his senior year? Fromm’s numbers are nearly identical to the 2018 Jones campaign with the same number of touchdowns, 4 fewer interceptions and over a yard more per attempt.

Obviously the draft landscape does not seem to be leaning toward Fromm being the 6th overall pick, but Daniel Jones, Christian Ponder, Blake Bortles, Blaine Gabbert, Brandon Weeden, and EJ Manuel have all been drafted in the first round in the past decade, among others, and all have made life-changing money. The NFL is a quarterback-driven league and those who don’t have one will search long and hard to find one, and yes possibly even reach. 

After all, there are 32 NFL owners and general managers. It only takes one great meeting with one of them to make them believe you are the guy to lead their organization moving forward. That's all it was with Daniel Jones. One GM in Dave Gettleman who believed he had found himself an NFL quarterback. 

And after everything you've seen and heard from the consummate leader, Jake Fromm you don't think the same is a possibility? 

Despite all of this, the overwhelming consensus of Dawg fans everywhere is that Jake Fromm will return for his senior season. Usually, the thought of a returning Senior quarterback who has led his team to 3 straight conference championship games, an SEC Championship, a Rose Bowl victory, and a national runner-up finish would have the fanbase of the program jumping collectively for joy. 

However, that is simply not the case with Fromm who was at the helm for embattled OC James Coley’s offense that was lacking in production and explosiveness throughout much of the 2019 campaign. Admittedly, an average completion percentage of 46.98% in the last 5 games is not the type of momentum and results that any NFL QB Prospect wants heading into the draft. However, the decision is simply not that easy.

We spoke to Senior NFL Draft analyst for the NFL Draft Network, Jordan Reid about Fromm's draft status and he mentioned the poor play to finish out an otherwise great career: 

"I’ve heard the same and I think he will declare as well. He’s an interesting case because, from an intangibles standpoint, he’s a coach's dream. Smart, tough, poised and a high football IQ, but I thought he played some of the worst football of his career down the back stretch of the season in November. His accuracy and ball placement really suffered and it resulted in a sputtering passing game. I believe, as a college QB, he is what he is at this point." - Jordan Reid on Jake Fromm

It’s not all about Jake Fromm either. Most people do not consider the quarterback class that will be coming out this year in comparison to that of the 2021 NFL Draft class. Fromm undoubtedly must like how he stacks up in the 2020 crop of NFL bound signal-callers more than he would in 2021. 

QB, Justin Herbert

Joe Burrow is now the consensus #1 QB off the board in 2020 by draft experts, but beyond that questions abound. Justin Herbert is more physically gifted than Jake Fromm, but it could be argued that comparatively, Jake Fromm’s total body of work in college is just as impressive, if not more. Fromm is used to taking snaps from under center, nobody does more at the line of scrimmage in terms of changing plays and setting protections, and Fromm has just flat out won more.

Tua Tagovailoa is a generational talent and has put together amazing production during the evolution of Crimson Tide offense over the past two and a half seasons, but he has a long list of injuries with the hip in big bold letters at the top. 

Scouts loved Fromm coming into his Junior campaign and those who really know football are going to see that some of the shortcomings weren’t completely Fromm’s fault (think Missouri & Auburn, not A&M or LSU).

In 2021 the star power of Justin Fields and Trevor Lawrence alone will make Fromm an afterthought. Both quarterbacks are more athletic and seem to fit into the trend of what the quarterback position in the NFL is moving toward. Also, one has to consider that Fromm has been remarkably healthy throughout his tenure as a Bulldog, which is kind of ironic seeing as how he' Wally Pipp'd Jacob Eason (also likely to come out for the draft in 2021), and coming back for a fourth season with the Dawgs only creates more opportunity for injury to finally knock upon Fromm's door prior to getting that pay clock ticking. 

The crowded 2021 class is something we spoke with an NFL regional scout about following the Texas A&M game: 

"I think he should definitely come out this year because his stock is as best as it's going to get. Also, next year he'll be fighting an uphill battle with Lawrence and Fields leading the 2021 crop." - NFL Regional Scout

The pay in itself is enough reason to make someone want to throw their hat in the ring, and it's not hard to see Fromm at the very least being able to play the part of Chase Daniel, AJ McCarron, or Brian Hoyer as a very competent back up for a good organization.

A celebrated hero turned scapegoat as of late will have a lot up in the air as the calendar turns to 2020. There is a legacy as a Dawg to consider. 

QB, Jake Fromm

Personally, I don’t view Fromm as having much of an ego, but you must wonder if an opportunity to exercise some demons against the Crimson Tide in Bryant-Denny on September 19 next fall would entice him to return? 

One would think a win over Bama, improved mechanics, and a return to form of the earlier portions of Fromm’s Dawg career would put him right back in the First-Round conversation. 

Conversely, despite his struggles late in the season physically, would Fromm’s well-noted leadership and numerous intangibles - plus a respectable overall body of work - help him get enough positive feedback to tip the scales in favor of leaving this season? 

And for what's it's worth, as we reported today on The Bulldog Maven, James Coley's received two new followers on Twitter today... D'Eriq King and Jordan Love. The two biggest transfer prospects in the country. 

Only time will tell what Fromm will decide to do, but the fact remains that while most people are prisoners of the moment and recency bias is rampant in society, these decisions are often much more complex and involved than they seem.