Did Jamie Newman hurt his NFL Draft stock by opting out at Georgia?

Jamie Newman didn’t help his NFL Draft stock by opting out.

Wake Forest quarterback Jamie Newman would’ve had a solid market on the later days of the 2020 NFL Draft, as his ability to run at 6-4 and 230 pounds coupled with exceptional arm talent made him a prime late Day 2/early Day 3 target. Newman had bigger plans than that, however, and transferring to Georgia in order to prove his worth against the SEC was the first step he needed to take to become a first-round pick.

Newman’s career in Athens ended before it even began, as he decided to skip the 2020 season and prepare for the NFL Draft.

Beyond the fact that Georgia now has no plan at quarterback considering JT Daniels hasn’t been cleared yet, the decision was a bit puzzling for Newman given where his stock is right now.

Jamie Newman still has a lot of questions to answer as a prospect

While Trevor Lawrence, Justin Fields, and Trey Lance have established themselves as the top three quarterbacks in the 2021 Draft, Newman is right behind them. Newman threw for 26 touchdowns during his final year in Winston-Salem, all the while rushing for 574 yards and six touchdowns. While his supporters will point to those numbers and his success throwing the ball deep as evidence he is a star in the making, those numbers belie what he really is as a prospect.

Newman came from a Dave Clawson offense at Wake famous for their long mesh points on option plays and quick, almost predetermined throws. This has led to some really bad decisions from Newman, as his 11 interceptions will show.

His arm is exceptional, and wide receiver Sage Surratt is impressive, but Newman’s willingness to shove the ball into double coverage should frighten teams. When he starts to falter in the accuracy department, scouts better buckle up, because oftentimes he’ll struggle to throw accurately for large chunks of a game.

This doesn’t mean Newman offers nothing of value as a prospect, however. The aforementioned arm strength is up there with any of the top prospects in this class, and he understands how to apply touch to all three levels of the defense when passing vertically.

In an age where mobility is becoming more important for quarterbacks, Newman can make plays in and out of structure with his legs. It’s a shame he won’t be able to show off those traits in Athens this season.

Newman will hear his name called on draft day, as his huge arm, mobility despite his big frame, and touch on deep throws make him one of the draft’s most intriguing prospects. However, a season in the best conference in the country would’ve done wonders for his stock. It’ll be hard to envision a scenario where a team spends a first-round pick on him in 2020.