PROSPECT SUMMARY - JAMIE NEWMAN

Wake Forest quarterback Jamie Newman is a toolsy prospect with good size, arm strength, mobility, and poise. The Demon Deacons took full advantage of his dual-threat skill set, implementing spread concepts that afforded him simplified reads where if his first option wasn’t available, he would have the spacing available to use his legs. Wake Forest also featured plenty of quarterback power and designed runs that allowed him to keep the offense moving with his legs. Newman is a terrific athlete and a physical runner. As a passer, Newman has plenty of room for growth when it comes to accuracy, decision making, field vision, progressions, hitting throws with anticipation, and navigating the pocket. Newman should be viewed as a developmental quarterback but one that brings an exciting package of physical traits to the table. There shouldn’t be expectations that he will take the reins of an NFL offense early in his career, but packages could be created for him to take advantage of his skill set. If everything comes together, Newman has the makeup of an NFL starter, but he has a ways to go.

Ideal Role: Developmental quarterback.

Scheme Fit: Spread.

FILM EVALUATION

Written by Joe Marino

Games watched: Utah State (2019), North Carolina (2019), Boston College (2019), Louisville (2019), Virginia Tech (2019), Clemson (2019), NC State (2019)

Best Game Studied: NC State (2019)

Worst Game Studied: Clemson (2019)

Accuracy: Newman has general accuracy with moments of highly erratic ball placement. While the flashes of pinpoint accuracy are also present, they are marred by frequent overthrows and balls thrown to the wrong leverage. Simply put, there isn’t enough consistency with Newman being able to put the ball where he wants it to go.

Decision Making: So much of what Wake Forest asked Newman to do was binary and made things simple for him. While he didn’t frequently put the ball in harm's way intentionally, his suspect field vision didn’t often account for squatting and/or leveraged defenders. In terms of working progressions and consistently going to the right places with the football, Newman is underdeveloped.

Poise: Newman is impressive when it comes to hanging tough in the pocket and attempting throws with the rush closing in around him. He led some very clutch drives late in games during his two seasons of extended action at Wake Forest. He is willing to put his body on the line to make a play for his team and that won’t be questioned.

Progressions: Newman is very much a one-read passer and he will hang onto his initial read, even to the point of forcing the football there. He is underdeveloped when it comes to working progressions and reading the entire field. This will be a notable piece of his development because as things stand, his eyes take defenders to the football.

Release: Newman has a sharp and quick release. Nothing appears elongated and he gets the ball out rapidly once he starts his motion. He has flashed the ability to make throws with different arm slots.

Pocket Manipulation: Newman has all the mobility needed to climb and manipulate the pocket, but he’s not consistent when it comes to feeling the rush and understanding where to step. He is guilty of fleeing clean pockets and his internal clock doesn’t appear to be consistently programmed correctly. There aren’t enough reps of him navigating the pocket and finding throwing windows while evading the rush from my exposures.

Arm Strength: Newman spins a clean football that he can drive outside the numbers. He has the throwing power to generate considerable distance on his throws and challenge defenses down the field. The challenge for Newman is developing more touch and trusting his changeup like he does his fastball.

Mobility: QB power was a big part of Newman’s production at Wake Forest and incorporating plenty of that and zone-read should be a priority for his NFL team. Newman has the athleticism needed to get outside the pocket, scramble, and play off-script. He’s an effective scrambler that blends his athleticism with physicality to keep the chains moving.

Leadership: Newman led some impressive game-winning drives at Wake Forest. With that said, his decision to transfer to Georgia and the timing of his decision to not play calls some things into question about his willingness to compete with JT Daniels for the starting job. The Senior Bowl will be an important stage for him to demonstrate leadership traits and answer questions about what happened at Georgia.

Mechanics: Newman’s upper-body mechanics are fairly consistent. His release is tight and his shoulders are typically aligned properly. What gets him in trouble are his feet and inconsistent throwing platform—at times it’s wide and other times it’s quite narrow. This variance could be related to how often the football tends to sail on him.

Prospect Comparison: EJ Manuel (2013 NFL Draft, Buffalo Bills)