What the national media is saying about Georgia football after 2020 NFL Draft

Perhaps the biggest draft story from this past weekend was Jake Fromm’s tumble down the draft boards. This time a year ago, some saw him as a potential first-round pick. Coming out of the 2019 season, some saw him as a safe, day-two pick.

But a poor combine, followed by a lack of face-to-face meetings hurt his draft stock even more. Factor in the struggles Georgia had on the offensive side of the ball in 2019, and Fromm didn’t come off the board until the 167th pick, going in the fifth round to the Buffalo Bills.

And Fromm’s perceptions drop is just the latest example in the one thing Kirby Smart seems to have struggled with during his time as the head coach at Georgia. That’s at least in the eyes of Yahoo Sports’ Pete Thamel.

“Fromm’s plunge this weekend highlights the glaring flaw — one of the few — in Kirby Smart’s four seasons at Georgia. Smart’s offense is headed into its third offensive coordinator in three years, coordinator uncertainty that’s trending toward Will Muschamp-like levels,” Thamel wrote.

Thamel also added that the issues and struggles with the Georgia offense are likely to be brought up once again in the 2021 NFL Draft, when former Georgia quarterback Justin Fields is expected to be a top pick. In his first season at Ohio State, Fields threw 41 touchdown passes to just three interceptions.

Georgia is once again changing its offense, with Todd Monken taking over the play-calling duties for the now-departed James Coley. Georgia also brought in graduate transfer Jamie Newman at the quarterback position.

Still, despite the offensive concerns about the program, a number of analysts still see Georgia as one of the top teams in the country. Bill Bender of The Sporting News has Georgia as one of the five teams that he sees being able to win the national title in 2020.

ESPN’s David Hale has Georgia near the top, putting them in Tier 1a, and comparing Georgia to the fifth season of “The Wire.”

“They’re not perfect, but like with the final season of “The Wire,” the pedigree is there, and most of the pieces necessary to create something magical remain in place. It’s just a bit … off.”

With Georgia, Hale’s big question pertains to whether or not Newman can help improve the Georgia offense. Newman threw for 26 touchdowns last season while rushing for 574 yards and six touchdowns.

Alabama and Oklahoma are also in the same tier with Georgia, just behind Ohio State and Clemson. The latter two teams were in the top tier and compared to the first four seasons of The Wire.

The Athletic’s Stewart Mandel published an updated Top-25 following the draft and the Bulldogs up in the No. 4 spot, behind Clemson, Ohio State and Alabama. The Bulldogs and Crimson Tide are set to meet on Sept. 19 in Tuscaloosa, Ala., in what should be one of the top college football games of the 2020 season.

In the video below, DawgNation’s Connor Riley discusses many of the top national storylines surrounding the Georgia football program as well as taking questions and comments from the audience.

What the national media is saying about Georgia football after 2020 NFL Draft

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