Jake Fromm's poor NFL Combine could actually help the Bears

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The Bears will be busy at quarterback this offseason. Whether they sign a veteran, trade for one or spend a high draft pick on a rookie, one thing is certain: there will be at least one new quarterback on the depth chart who can challenge Mitch Trubisky for the starting job.

Focusing on the 2020 NFL Draft for a moment, the Bears won't be in a position to land any of the likely first-round prospects: Joe Burrow, Tua Tagovailoa, Justin Herbert and Jordan Love. Even if a player like Love begins to slide to the bottom of the first round, the price to trade up for him will cost too much for his skill set.

The second round will offer Ryan Pace an opportunity at some intriguing options like Washington's Jacob Eason and maybe Oklahoma's Jalen Hurts, but with needs at tight end, the offensive line and the secondary, it would benefit Chicago to wait until Day 3, assuming a quarterback with upside slides that far.

One player who could experience a fall into Round 4 (or later) is Georgia's Jake Fromm, whose underwhelming arm strength during position drills at the NFL Combine has his arrow pointing down. 

While that's certainly bad news for Fromm, it's good news for the Bears who can benefit by adding a player with Fromm's football IQ and gamesmanship. He isn't going to overpower NFL defenses with strikes down the field, but he proved during his time at Georgia that he's an accurate passer who can effectively manage an offense, especially one like Matt Nagy's that showcased another pedestrian passer in Alex Smith a few seasons ago.

The Bears could certainly do a lot worse than Fromm as a fourth-round pick (assuming they're awarded a compensatory pick in that round). He may not be the kind of prospect who will challenge for a starting job in 2020, but by the time his second season rolls around, Fromm's competitive nature will have him in the mix for starter's reps.

Fromm ended his career at Georgia as a three-year starter who threw for 8,236 yards with 78 touchdowns and 18 interceptions.

 

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