The Steelers have talked with Jamie Newman, is he just the next mid-round QB draft pick?

For teams who are looking for a quarterback in the 2021 NFL Draft, Jamie Newman might be a mid-round prospect to keep an eye on.

By Jeff.Hartman@BnGBlitz Apr 1, 2021, 1:30pm EDT

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The Pittsburgh Steelers are one of many NFL organizations who could be looking at a quarterback in the upcoming 2021 NFL Draft. However, unlike the other franchises who are looking to add to their current quarterback depth chart, the Steelers possess the 24th overall pick.

Not really conducive to getting a top tier prospect at the most important position in the game.

There is the chance the Steelers choose to take a quarterback, but don’t go for the top tier players at the position. Not a fan favorite, but the Steelers have always shown they are willing to take a mid-round quarterback in hopes of them developing into at worst a backup.

One prospect which has come to my attention in the last few days is Wake Forest Jamie Newman. Newman wasn’t really on my radar when doing these breakdowns, until it became public the Wake Forest quarterback has spoke to the Steelers “quite a bit” leading up to the 2021 NFL Draft.

QB Jamie Newman says he’s talked with the Steelers quite a bit. He had interviews with Mike Tomlin, Matt Canada and Kevin Colbert.

As a wildcard QB, Newman had a ton of upside as a mid-round QB.
— Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) March 31, 2021

I did some digging on Newman, and put together a brief synopsis of the kind of player he is, and will be when becoming a professional. Below you’ll see draft profile breakdowns, film room breakdowns and game film for you to enjoy.

Don’t listen to me, or anyone else, form your own opinion on Newman. I plan on doing this for other prospects as the draft approaches. If there is a specific player you’d like to see covered, simply let me know and I’ll be glad to put it together!

Let us know your thoughts on Newman in the comment section below, and be sure to stay tuned to BTSC for the latest news and notes surrounding the Steelers as they prepare for the new league year, NFL Free Agency and the 2021 NFL Draft.

Draft Profiles

Positives: Nice-sized pocket passer with an undeveloped game. Patient, buys as much time as necessary for receivers and stands strong against the rush. Possesses a compact throwing motion, a live arm, and throws tight spirals with speed. Displays a sense of timing on throws and does not have receivers waiting for the ball to arrive.

Natural-looking off the safety, spreads the ball around and uses all his targets. Remains poised as the pocket collapses around him, shows no sense of worry, and is quick bouncing it to the outside. Loses nothing throwing on the run and easily gets the ball downfield. Puts touch on throws and delivers a catchable ball. Effectively led the Wake Forest offense in 2019.

Negatives: Tends to stare down the primary target and is late moving his eyes from receivers. Holds the ball a little too long and must hasten his decision-making. Struggles with his accuracy as well as pass placement and can be all over the place with throws.

Analysis: Newman possesses the physical skills to play in the NFL but needs a lot of work on the intangibles and details of the quarterback position. He started off hot during the first day of Senior Bowl practices, then he quickly fizzled out and looked like a quarterback who had not played football in more than a year. Newman is a high-upside prospect but needs time and proper coaching to meet his incredible upside.

The Draft Network

Fan Nation

An athletic quarterback who moves around the pocket well, Newman can move the chains with his legs when the play breaks down. Newman is tough and can take hits. He has enough arm strength to toss it anywhere on the field, but he won’t overwhelm anyone with his arm. His best accuracy tends to come in the short-to-intermediate range of the field. However, Newman does demonstrate excellent patience in the pocket and he is rarely flustered. He must do a better job of reading the field and not stare down his main option, which often results in turnovers and missed opportunities. Experience is not on his side, as he only has one full season under his belt as a college starter. He is sure to be a project and his upside is as great as any quarterback in the draft, but there is some unknown to him. After transferring from Wake Forest to Georgia, Newman decided to opt out of the 2020 season, without ever taking a snap for the Bulldogs, leading some in the scouting community to question whether he struggled to pick up the playbook during his transition. With an impressive combination of arm strength, size and athleticism, Newman projects as a mid-round gamble who could pay huge dividends down the road.

The Draft Network

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.