Jamie Newman Scouting Report

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Jamie Newman may be the most mysterious quarterback, or player for that matter, in the 2021 NFL Draft. Newman, who transferred from Wake Forest to Georgia before the season, opted out of the college football season due to family concerns with COVID-19. Questions remained unanswered, and NFL teams were unable to see Jamie Newman play at the highest level of college football.

Jamie Newman Stats / Measurables

Position: QB

School: Wake Forest / Georgia

Class: Redshirt Junior

Height: 6’4″

Weight: 229 lbs

2019 Stats (opted out of 2020)

Passing: 3959 YDS / 60.5 Comp % / 35 TD / 16 INT

Rushing: 180 ATT / 574 YDS / 6 TD

Pros

1. Strong Arm: Jamie Newman has an incredibly strong arm. It may not be accurate or have great placement, his arm is one of the strongest in the draft class. When looking for a developmental quarterback, like Newman would be, traits like a strong arm strongly increase their draft stock. If Jamie can reign in that arm and figure out how to begin to place the ball better, he can be a real threat in the league.
2. Quick Release: Jamie does not have great throwing mechanics don’t get me wrong, but his release is quick and has velocity on it. He can do a better job of opening it up so he can get more air on the ball as well as distance, but his current release gives little for the defender to watch.
3. Throwing Outside of the Sticks: Most quarterbacks are the least accurate throwing sideline throws and outside the sticks throws, but that seems to be Newman’s best throw. As a result of his strong arm and quick release, Newman is able to hit tight windows on outside throws that many quarterbacks cannot hit. This is a very good trait to have, as good QB coaches can tame this skill and use it all across the field.
4. Athleticism: Alongside Lance and Fields, Newman is an incredibly athletic quarterback. His speed matched with his size and running ability is scary for a duel threat quarterback to have, and if used correctly, will keep defensive coordinators up late at night. He hast to harness this athleticism however, as you can see Newman running for no reason and gaining little to no yards.
5. RPO/Play Action: Most mobile quarterbacks are great out of PRO and Play Action sets, but Newman is impressive out of those sets. He does a great job pulling defenders into run commit because of his athleticism, and his quick release gets the ball to his receiver before the defense can react. This is where Wake Forest found most if its success, and it was a result of the duel threat ability that Newman had to offer.

Cons

1. Ball Placement: While Newman may have a very strong arm and lightning quick release, his ball placement is questionable. He tends to not lead receivers and throws behind them, significantly cutting off ability for more YAC. This is an easier fix, as throw timing is something that a QB coach should have no problem working on.
2. Consistency: This is a major issue for Newman, as his lack of consistency severely hurts hit team. One quarter he can be slinging the pig skin with perfection, and the other he can’t throw a slant to save his life. Jamie needs to learn to stay consistent with his motions and progressions, because at his best he can be a top quarterback in the league.
3. Pocket Awareness: For a mobile quarterback, Jamie Newman is not very aware in the pocket. When he gets out of the pocket, his eyes go down and he does not look up field for a pass, he just runs. When in the pocket he tends to either leave way too early, or stay way too long and get sacked. Newman needs to work on his internal timer as to when to leave the pocket, and he also needs to learn to keep his eyes up field when scrambling.
4. Decision Making: Newman has a tough time reading the field and then making a decision once he makes his read. He seems to be a one read quarterback, and has trouble deciding to make a throw in tough situations. This is a problem that will be tough to fix, and whatever team Jamie goes to will have to cut down the reads and make him only read half the field so he can truly use all of his talents.
5. Scattered Outside of the Pocket: As a duel threat quarterback, you have to be calm and collected when moving outside of the pocket, and Jamie Newman just isn’t. When he leaves the pocket, his footwork seems to go jittery, his eyes are everywhere, a lot of the time down, and his decision making becomes incredibly indecisive. In the NFL, Newman needs to become more calm outside of the pocket in order to succeed, but this can be fixed relatively easily by a good quarterbacks coach like the one he has in Quincy Avery.

Consensus: Jamie Newman is a project quarterback, but he is arguably the best project quarterback in the 2021 NFL Draft. His unique physical traits will make scouts drool, and teams with an older QB would love the opportunity to build up Newman while their current quarterback plays into retirement. If developed correctly, Newman can be a force in the league for years to come, but he must fix his accuracy issues alongside his internal clock being off. Jamie will most likely be drafted in the third or fourth round to a team in need of a developmental prospect.

NFL Comp: Jameis Winston

Grade: 73.75