Buffalo Bills: Grading every pick from the 2020 NFL Draft
Round 5, 167th overall: Jake Fromm
This was clearly the biggest surprise when the Buffalo Bills selected quarterback Jake Fromm out of Georgia in the fifth round.
While many may really dislike this pick, but there is reason to love it.
The Bills have had a hole at the backup quarterback position for some time now. Since drafting Josh Allen in 2018, the Bills have had Nathan Peterman, Derek Anderson and Matt Barkley share the quarterback room with the former first-round pick. With the addition of Fromm, the Bills get some stability at the backup position for years to come and someone who is a savant at the position.
NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein said it best when discussing the selection of Fomm when saying: “Buffalo just drafted a quarterback coach for Josh Allen“.
This notion rings true as Allen is a superior choice in every area: arm strength, accuracy and mobility to where Fromm won’t challenge him for that role but that doesn’t mean the backup position is any less valuable. NFL.com rated Fromm as a 6.16 prospect labelling him “Good backup who could become starter”. This is mainly due to the lack of arm strength we saw from him in the Combine as it looked like he was putting everything he had into the deep throws and at times that wasn’t enough.
Last season we saw the Bills weakest link be their receiving, with that position addressed, the next was the backup position. With the old saying “you’re only as strong as your weakest link” ringing ever so true in the NFL and Allen being one play away from being injured, the selection of Fromm was a masterful one.
It is unclear if Fromm will take the backup position from Matt Barkley who has shown to be a serviceable backup and a morale boost to the team, but Fromm will certainly help the Bills offense on the field even if he isn’t on it.