2021 NFL Draft: Jamie Newman perfect fit for the Buccaneers
By Rob Leeds
Jamie Newman needs the time to grow
First-year quarterbacks are always a massive gamble. If every first-round pick and beloved draft selection panned out to be a franchise quarterback, the NFL would go through complete quarterback turnover every four or five seasons. Unsurprisingly, there are always duds within each class.
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Draft evaluation is a fickle subject, as you have to be extremely careful about what you focus on. In many cases, states don’t matter. Kyle Trask had a compelling season as a Heisman candidate, yet the Buccaneers should stay extremely far away from taking a chance on him. Trask has the stats, but the traits aren’t there. Jamie Newman is the opposite.
When Newman opted out, his draft stock fell victim to the recency bias. Teams may look at him and see a year out of football as a detriment. Newman could have grown a ton outside of football, but as any coach or player knows, the real thing will always be the best way to grow.
Newman was mostly forgotten before the Senior Bowl, but that is the exact reason why it is held every year. Newman is getting a chance to showcase his many talents in front of an audience, and his stock is starting to rise again.
Every video of Newman at the Senior Bowl shows a quarterback that looks comfortable in the pocket and has no problem throwing the deep ball. Newman’s deep accuracy and arm strength lend themselves well to success in the NFL, and the Bucs would have plenty of time to work on some of the rougher parts of his game.
Newman is by no means a perfect prospect, but the Buccaneers have no excuse not to take a chance on him in the second or third round. The Bucs need to carefully prepare for their future, and Jamie Newman, with the right coaching, could give them the best opportunity to go forward confidently in a time without Tom Brady.
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