Patriots Select Alabama QB Mac Jones With No. 15 Pick
The New England Patriots selected Alabama quarterback Mac Jones with the 15th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
The pick comes to the surprise of no one. The only surprise is that Jones was available at pick 15. With teams like the Lions, Panthers and Broncos potentially in the market for a quarterback, it was a bit of a shock that picks 4-10 went without a quarterback selected. After Trevor Lawrence went at No. 1, Zach Wilson at No. 2 and Trey Lance at No. 3, the Bears then traded up to pick 11 to get Ohio State's Justin Fields, and then Jones was still there for New England come the 15th overall pick.
Jones is a prototypical Patriots quarterback. Very accurate underneath, throws with anticipation and touch, has a great feel in the pocket, and is smart. The biggest knock on him is his athleticism, along with the fact that he was blessed with riches around him at Alabama.
A lack of athleticism won't matter if Jones is under center in a Josh McDaniels offense. We will see how the newly-acquired weapons of New England will help Jones as he fights for the starting job during his rookie season against Cam Newton and Jarrett Stidham. Jones was labeled as one of the more pro-ready quarterbacks in this year's draft class, so he is very much in the running to be a starter during his first season in the NFL.
During his junior year at Alabama, Jones completed 77 percent of his passes for 4,500 yards, 41 touchdowns and four interceptions.
