Dynasty Fantasy Football Superflex Spotlight: Alabama Quarterback Mac Jones
Welcome to the Superflex Spotlight series! This collection of articles will take a deep dive into the incoming quarterbacks of the 2021 NFL Draft. In Superflex Dynasty leagues, it’s good practice to be informed on the quarterbacks of the future. This series will allow you to get all the information you need on the upcoming quarterback class including strengths, weaknesses, projected draft slots, an overall overview of their college career and more.
Superflex Spotlight: Mac Jones School: Alabama
Projection: Round Two – Three
College Career: Amid a Heisman worthy season, Mac Jones is thriving. Committing to Alabama in 2017, Jones was largely inactive in his first few seasons mostly serving as a holder on special teams. Jones received his opportunity to start in 2019 when former Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa suffered a season-ending hip injury. After filling in admirably for Tagovailoa, he was named the starting quarterback for the Crimson Tide in 2020. He has thrown for 3,321 yards in 10 games, completing 76.4 percent of his passes and throwing for 27 touchdowns with just three interceptions.
Strengths:
The biggest strength Mac Jones possesses is his deep ball. He has a cannon and accuracy to boot. Many will question if it is truly impressive what Jones is doing or if he is benefitting from premier talent at the receiver position. Don’t be fooled, Jones has the best deep ball in the class. He is also very protective of football. His ability to avoid turnovers while hitting the deep shots will be what gets him drafted.
Weaknesses:
One thing that kept showing up on tape for Jones was his odd footwork. He throws flat-footed way too often, which is odd because that normally would cause the ball to float a bit but Jones doesn’t seem to be affected. He still needs to refine that in the NFL. His game while under pressure is a bit worrisome as he isn’t the most mobile quarterback and can often get happy feet in the pocket when it’s breaking down. His mechanics and pocket presence seem to be his biggest flaws.
NFL Projection:
A team with a solid offensive line and outside targets with deep speed is the best-case scenario for Jones. Like Kyle Trask, Jones could benefit from sitting behind a veteran for a year while he learns an offense. Pittsburgh, with their propensity to field a solid offensive line and their ability to draft premiere talent at receiver, seems like a match made in heaven for Jones.
Fantasy Outlook:
Again, Jones’ fantasy stock will likely be determined by where he lands in the NFL. If he can get to a team that has an offensive line that affords him time in the pocket, then Jones will see his stock rise. If he ends up on a team with offensive line issues then he is likely someone you would want to avoid in fantasy. Keep in mind that a player who can throw the deep ball like Jones can be a valuable commodity in fantasy football. Deep ball touchdowns look good on your fantasy football team.
Rookie Draft Projection:
Mac Jones will likely be a late-round two – early-round-three prospect. He is indeed worth a flyer in superflex leagues and if you can afford to be patient with him, he is worth stashing on your bench.
