Mac Jones, Alabama football. (Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports)
Mac Jones led Alabama football to another title but now the question is where in the 2021 NFL Draft the quarterback is going to land.
After entering the 2020 season with questions about how he would replace Tua Tagovailoa, Mac Jones answered them for Alabama football with a historically good season. Finishing third in the Heisman Trophy voting, Jones threw for 4,500 yards with 41 touchdowns and only four picks while leading the Crimson Tide to another National Championship. Next stop: the 2021 NFL Draft.
Jones is one of the more divisive quarterback prospects in the 2021 draft class, at least among the top guys. He’s clearly in line to be a first-round pick but some worry about his lack of mobility and overall arm strength.
Even if that is the case, Jones displayed pristine accuracy and anticipation skills as a thrower while suiting up for Alabama football. Moreover, he throws a beautiful deep ball, even if he’s not the strongest thrower in the class. And you can’t question his leadership or mental makeup given how he handled taking over as the starter amid a global pandemic.
It remains to be seen how the NFL will ultimately value Jones but, knowing what we do with team needs and where the Crimson Tide quarterback could be going, let’s take a look at five potential landing spots for Mac Jones in the 2021 NFL Draft.
Mac Jones 2021 NFL Draft landing spot No. 5: New England Patriots
It still feels odd to discuss quarterback as a problem area for the New England Patriots given their 20-year stint with Tom Brady at the helm. That’s the reality of the situation, though, after the Cam Newton experiment this past season flamed out relatively quickly and while Jarrett Stidham offers little solace.
Jones simply feels like a prospect that the Patriots could fall in love with, even outside of the Bill Belichick-Nick Saban similarities and connection. His unquestionable moxie and ability to read the field seem to fit perfectly into what New England would ideally like to be doing on offense.
The Patriots need to find answers quickly at quarterback and Jones is a prospect that would seemingly check the boxes that they want to at the position. Perhaps the only thing stopping New England would be a trade up ahead of them or another unforeseen answer coming into focus.