7. Jake Fromm, QB, Georgia
Height: 6’2″ Weight: 219
40-Yard Dash: 5.01 seconds
Bench Press: N/A
Vertical Jump: 30 inches
Broad Jump: 9 feet, 3 inches
3-Cone Drill: 7.27 seconds
20-Yard Shuttle: 4.51 seconds
60-Yard Shuttle: N/A
Bio: When Jacob Eason was injured early in the 2017 season opener, that opened the door for Jake Fromm to step in as a true freshman. Fromm, a native of Warner Robins, Georgia, led the Bulldogs to an appearance in the national championship — only to fall to Alabama, where he had originally committed, and Tua Tagovailoa when he memorably rallied the Crimson Tide after coming off the bench at halftime.
Fromm made strides each season as a passer for Georgia and last year threw for a career-high 2,855 yards while throwing a career-low five interceptions. He also functioned in a very pro-style offense and has lots of experience operating under center and making calls and adjustments at the line of scrimmage.
Stat to Know: Fromm, according to Pro Football Focus, recorded a turnover-worthy play on just seven of his 445 dropbacks last season. He will not make many mistakes.
Strengths: Consider for a moment the typical NFL decision-maker. Someone with a house (and a mortgage), bills to pay and a general desire to not get fired. That is why Fromm is going to come off the board sooner than people expect and perhaps before his ranking would indicate. Fromm is not going to be careless with the football. Think of some of the terms used to describe safe quarterbacks: Game manager, system quarterback or perhaps point guard. That is Fromm. He can make the right reads and the right throws on time and in rhythm. His accuracy in the short and intermediate areas of the field is perhaps ideal for a West Coast system.
Weaknesses: Fromm is perhaps one of the more scheme-limited quarterbacks in this class. His arm strength is a limitation as the throws start to get more vertical in the passing game, and his athleticism is not exactly something you will have to game-plan against as a defensive coordinator. If everything is clicking and he is kept clean, he is a dangerous passer. However, if things break down and he needs to improvise or throw with trash at this feet, or work off his first or second read, that is when things start to go haywire. He’ll need to be in a system where he can just follow the steps — or recipe, if you will — and check the boxes along the way. Ideally, a West Coast offense such as Indianapolis, Chicago or Philadelphia would be a suitable environment for him.
Conclusion: Because of these limitations, Fromm will be a polarizing prospect for many teams. In some settings, such as those described above, he might be worthy of an early Day 2 selection. Other teams, like say the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Bruce Arians, might not even have him on their board. In the right environment, he could flourish, but those options are limited for him. Otherwise, he might just be another career-long backup type of player — valuable in a sense, but not someone you’ll covet early in the draft.
Comparison: Dane Brugler with The Athletic compared him to “Cody Kessler plus,” and that is accurate. Fromm is someone who will need to win with anticipation and his mind at the next level. In the most ideal of situations, he could grow into a Kirk Cousins type of passer — someone who paints by the numbers, functions in a run-heavy, play-action oriented offense and becomes a quarterback you win with, not a passer you win because of.