The Patriots Need to Draft Jake Fromm to Salvage Horrific Offseason Centered Around Jarrett Stidham

A lot of quarterbacks figure to be off the board early at the 2020 NFL Draft, with QB-needy teams expected to strike within the first few rounds in order to jump-start their futures.

Following the departure of Tom Brady, the Patriots have an obvious need at quarterback, and wouldn't be wrong to address it via the draft. While it's unlikely Bill Belichick and Co. are interested in taking a QB in the opening round, it's possible the team looks to select a signal-caller with one if its three third-round picks.

One option that could be available in the middle rounds? Former Georgia Bulldogs star Jake Fromm, who makes for an intriguing target for the Patriots -- and not just because his name isn't Jarrett Stidham.

Pitting Fromm against projected-starter-by-default Stidham would not only be beneficial to both quarterbacks, but it could provide fans with an encapsulating QB competition between former SEC rivals. Such a subplot playing out under Bill Belichick's watch is "Hard Knocks"-level drama.

All told, New England should not be feeling confident about the idea of starting Stidham in 2020; he's too unproven and the team simply lacks sufficient offensive weapons to prop him up. But with a bevy of draft capital, they can and should make some moves to add some more talent to the QB room.

The Patriots are strapped for cash, which will prevent them from bringing in another QB via free agency or even the trade market, which makes the idea of selecting Fromm in the middle rounds even more appealing. After a highly disappointing offseason that saw Tom Brady bolt for Tampa Bay, the Pats could go a long way to salvaging things by bringing in the UGA standout.