Did Jamie Newman Make Right Decision?

As other draft-eligible quarterbacks continue to light up the scoreboard, it begs the question: Did Jamie Newman make the right decision?

It is officially early big-board season for NFL draft analysts. 

In such a strange year, executives in front offices have already a lot of the tape they need to evaluate a player. There are a few remaining games on the schedule plus conference championships and the bowl season, to be followed by the Scouting Combine (although it's too early to know how that will be handled), but there isn't much time left for game tape.

In the case of could-have-been Georgia quarterback Jamie Newman, his game tape is over. He now awaits whatever offseason evaluation will look like, but according to some big boards, Newman is currently slotted as a third- or fourth-round draft pick.

After transferring from Wake Forest to Georgia, Newman started to see more buzz about his draft potential. He was mentioned in the Heisman discussion, and several mock drafts even had him entering the first-round discussion. Now, he's been seemingly passed up by quarterbacks that are having career years. That begs the question: Did Newman make the right decision to opt out of the 2020 season?

Newman's superior athletic traits were the reason for his success at Wake Forest. He had some of the most natural running instincts and football IQ in the country at the quarterback position, which in schemes across the league where diversity is king will help him. His prowess as a runner forced defenses to bring extra pressure and often gave him one-on-one coverage across the middle of the field.

There were also flashes of great arm talent at Wake Forest. His highlights consist of beautifully executed deep balls with pressure in his face.

The problem, however, is that Newman often displayed loose footwork. There is a reason his highest completion percentage for a season was 60. Too often, he sat on his back foot and didn't transfer his weight well. This led to a multitude of inaccurate balls and is one of the reasons he is mocked as a third- or fourth-round pick.

This year he was expected to take a step with his feet, because in the SEC, teams would try to contain the edges and force Newman to process their defense with the proper footwork. Offensive coordinator Todd Monken and staff were attempting to take his footwork to the next level and unleash an offense that rivaled the nation's elite.

Newman also had a chance to cement himself in that third quarterback position. It seems at least three to four quarterbacks are taken on opening night of the draft every year. The top two at the position for this cycle are Clemson's Trevor Lawrence and Ohio State's Justin Fields. Aside from them, the other spots were there for the taking. It is not unreasonable to think with a dominant rushing attack that would open passing lanes, improved footwork, and a stellar defense Newman could have played himself into a first-round grade.

However, that is not the case. While Kyle Trask, Zach Wilson, Mac Jones and others will jockey this year for a first-round selection, Newman appears to have missed out on an opportunity.