Mac Jones has garnered a lot of attention throughout this offseason.
The No. 15 overall pick won the starting role for the New England Patriots, ultimately leading to the release of Cam Newton. Jones was Pro Football Focus’ highest-graded rookie quarterback following the preseason — which is a huge feat considering the talent surrounding him in the draft.
Jones was originally projected to be drafted with the No. 3 pick by the San Francisco 49ers, but he fell drastically considering his potential. In ESPN’s Mike Reiss’ recent column, he noted Todd McShay’s thoughts about Jones the loaded draft class at quarterback.
“They’ve been up and down with draft picks over the years, and this might be the best class they’ve ever had,” McShay said.
Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson, Trey Lance and Justin Fields are the big-time prospects that landed ahead of Jones. One quarterback in recent history that had similar hype was Joe Burrow, who was drafted in 2020. Burrow had a legendary year at LSU and proved himself in the NFL before getting injured. McShay went as far as comparing Jones to Burrow.
“To get a starting quarterback at 15, you rarely get that,” McShay continued.
“It was only one year (as a starter) instead of two years (like Burrow), and he’s not as mobile as Joe, but it’s the same kind of pocket presence and ability to feel where the rush is coming from,” McShay said. “And the accuracy and toughness — mental and physical. He’s a special cat, he really is.”
The Patriots start their season off against the Miami Dolphins and it’ll be the first chance to see Jones under the pressure of a regular season game.
