ATHENS — Georgia quarterback Jake Fromm slipped out of the first three rounds on Friday night, destined to be selected on Saturday in the fourth round or beyond.
The NFL resumes at noon on Saturday, with rounds 4-7 taking place before teams scramble to sign undrafted free agents.
Georgia offensive tackles Andrew Thomas and Isaiah Wilson were first-round picks. Thomas went No. 4 overall (N.Y. Giants) and Wilson was the 29th pick (Tennessee Titans).
RELATED: Thomas and Wilson make history for Georgia O-Line
The drama that carried over from Thursday night when D’Andre Swift wasn’t picked was quickly resolved Friday.
The Detroit Lions pounced on Swift with the No. 35 overall pick — the same slot former Georgia star Nick Chubb was selected in the 2019 NFL Draft.
RELATED: Why Kirby called D’Andre Swift before Detroit Lions’ pick
But the rest of Friday night was long and frustrating for Georgia fans as they waited for Fromm’s name to come off the board.
Five quarterbacks have been selected through the first three rounds. Joe Burrow, Tua Tagovailoa, Justin Herbert and Jordan Love were first-round picks, and Jalen Hurts was selected in the second round.
Like Fromm, former Georgia and Washington quarterback Jacob Eason was not selected in the first three rounds.
The ESPN cameras showed live shots from the Fromm family’s living room a half dozen times.
Fromm appeared attentive to the TV, his game face on, ready to jump out of his chair when his name was called.
Instead, Fromm’s football future was on hold for another night.
Georgia coach Kirby Smart said earlier on Friday that several teams have expressed interest in Fromm, even if they are choosing to address other needs first.
“So many teams expressed interest,” Smart said. “They talk to Jake himself, they talk to players, they talk to Andrew (Thomas) and Isaiah (Wilson) and D’Andre (Swift) about Jake, because they want to know how he’s going to manage the other players on the team, how he’s going to manage adversity and Jake has done all these things.
“There’s some certain style of teams that really, really like Jake.”
Fromm is a prototypical drop-back, pocket passer known best for his ability to process pre-snap reads and work through his progressions quickly.
Quarterback is the most dependent position in football, so as Smart suggested, so much of it has to do with finding the right fit.
Fromm is the best available player remaining, according to the ESPN draft board.
Per ESPN’s Steve Muench:
“Fromm is a smaller quarterback with average mobility, and his lack of arm strength is his biggest weakness. That said, he’s a proven winner with exceptional football intelligence and work ethic. He has a quick release in addition to solid accuracy and touch.”
Fromm did not throw well at the NFL combine. That was compounded by the cancellation of Georgia Pro Day and NFL team visits — on account of the coronavirus pandemic — further limiting Fromm’s opportunity to showcase his skills.
Smart also said Friday he expected Fromm to be able to handle his disappointment like a pro.
“I know Jake is going to be excited to hear his name called,” Smart said. “But he’s not going to lose any sleep over it because he’s very confident in himself, and he’s going to go in and compete.”
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