Connecting the dots between Ryan Pace and Georgia QB Jake Fromm

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Georgia quarterback Jake Fromm officially declared for the 2020 NFL draft this week, adding another talented prospect who the Bears will have no choice but to strongly consider selecting if he's still on the board when they're on the clock at pick No. 43 in the second round.

Fromm will have some believers suggesting he's a first-round player, but his limited arm strength and underwhelming physical traits are more in line with second-round quarterbacks. It's not a knock on his NFL projection; it's just a reality of the NFL draft process.

What Fromm does possess, however, is the kind of experienced resume that Bears GM Ryan Pace suggested was an extremely important variable in quarterback evaluation ahead of the 2017 NFL draft. Pace did an about-face on that theory when he selected Mitch Trubisky with the No. 2 pick overall, a decision that at this point seems to be proving his theory that collegiate starts actually do matter when evaluating quarterbacks.

Fromm checks the experience box with 43 starts as a Bulldog, many of those coming in college football's best conference. But there's another important factor at play here: Pace has a history of tapping into the Georgia program on draft day. His affection for the Bulldogs is indirectly connected to Fromm, too.

Look at the facts:

2016 - Pace spends a first-round pick (No. 9 overall) on Leonard Floyd
2017 - Pace spends a seventh-round pick on wide receiver Javon Wims
2018 - Pace spends a first-round pick (No. 8 overall) on Roquan Smith
2019 - Pace spends a fourth-round pick on wide receiver Riley Ridley

See a trend?

The Bears' scouting department has spent a lot of time on Georgia's campus breaking down the Bulldogs' tape. Chicago used two draft picks on Fromm's receivers, which means they've spent even more time evaluating nearly every throw Fromm's attempted since 2017.

Pace was particularly high on Ridley, whom he called a no-brainer selection in the fourth round last year. He said the Bears' front office was shocked to see his name was still on the board. He paid close attention to that Georgia passing game.

This doesn't mean Pace will have the same affection for Fromm, but it does mean he's watched a whole lot of him and should have little doubt about the kind of pro he can be.

And consider this: If the Bears do end up drafting Fromm, he'll join an NFL roster with experience throwing to two of the team's expected five receivers who will be active on gameday. That can't be overlooked. It will make his transition to the NFL much easier; he can focus on building timing and chemistry with Allen Robinson and Anthony Miller while already having the confidence in knowing how and where to target Ridley and Wims.

We're a long way from Pace making a decision on which quarterback he'll add to the depth chart this offseason. It's possible he goes the free-agent route instead of a rookie. But if the draft is his target, Fromm will be high on his list.

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