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The Cam Newton era may be over, but one New England Patriots analyst believes the team will look to add a player from college with some of the 2015 MVP’s best traits.
The Patriots will have the No. 15 overall pick in the first round of April’s NFL Draft, which might be too late to grab one of the top quarterback prospects. If that’s the case and Bill Belichick isn’t interested in trading up, the team might need to look to address their quarterback situation later in the draft.
It’s that thought process that Pats Pulpit’s Brian M. Hines adopted when projecting the Patriots’ most likely draft choice at quarterback.
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Who Is Jamie Newman?
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Hines was answering questions from readers about the Patriots’ quarterback situation moving forward when he predicted New England will re-sign Newton in 2021, but still draft a rookie quarterback – just not one of the biggest names in the draft.
Hines tabs Georgia’s Jamie Newman as a fit for the Patriots. Unless you’re a major Wake Forest Demon Deacons fan, you’re probably wondering “who’s Newman?”
Newman played his first three seasons at Wake Forest before transferring to Georgia for his senior year. However, he chose to opt-out due to COVID-19 concerns while preparing for the 2021 NFL Draft.
Coming into the season, he was considered a top-10 QB prospect, but obviously, his inactivity may cause him to slide in the eyes of NFL evaluators. Here’s a look at some of his highlights from college:
The 23-year-old is projected to be selected between the second and fourth rounds, but of course, this could all change as we move closer to the draft. Newman doesn’t project as a rookie who would be prepared to start from Day 1. That means the Patriots would need a bridge quarterback.
Could that be Newton?
Cam Newton the Mentor
On Monday, Newton said he was open to mentoring a young quarterback, but also made it clear he wants to start. That would seemingly be in play if the Patriots drafted Newman.
Like Newton, Newman is a dual-threat quarterback. While not quite as big as Newton, Newman is a physical specimen at 6-foot-4, 230 pounds. Backup quarterbacks on NFL rosters are typically similar to the starter in terms of skill set, and you can bet there would be enough similarities to keep the playbook for Newton and Newman aligned. Also, it’s probably a little easier to mentor a player with comparable physical traits.
With Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels potentially moving on, there is a possibility the team could have a new staffer calling plays in 2021.
Even more than a potential change at coordinator, Newton’s fate is the biggest factor.
If the Patriots are moving on from him, you’d expect to see New England potentially trade up to get the quarterback they view to be a franchise-type player. Although there is a chance they could stay put at No. 15 and still get Florida’s Kyle Trask or Alabama’s Mac Jones.
We’ll find out in the coming weeks, but if Newman turns out to be the call, let’s give Hines his credit for calling it out months ahead of time.
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- Patriots Linked to Alabama Star in Pro Football Focus Mock Draft