Though Alabama quarterback Mac Jones has so many of the qualities the New England Patriots admire, there’s plenty of reason to believe he will not be the player Bill Belichick selects in the first round.
Appearing Wednesday on WEEI’s “Mut at Night,” NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah explained why he doesn’t see Jones going to the Patriots — or anyone in the first round.
“I think Zach Wilson is going to go up there with (presumptive No. 1 pick) Trevor Lawrence,” Jeremiah said, via WEEI.com. “I think both those guys are pretty secure to go up there in the top five. And then I think we could see a little bit of a drop and potentially see (Justin) Fields and (Trey) Lance, whatever order you have them, go.
“But I (do) not think we (will) see Mac Jones in the first half of the first round. I just can’t see that. To me, maybe he finds his way and sneaks into the back end of (Round) 1, but when I watched him, I thought he was more of a second-round type player.”
Many mock drafts have Jones landing in the top 15 picks, often with the Patriots, the Washington Football Team or the San Francisco 49ers. He is widely considered the fifth-best quarterback in this year’s class, behind the four quarterbacks Jeremiah mentioned.
He’s a pocket passer, who can move the ball quickly and accurately. With time under Nick Saban, Jones should be comfortable in Belichick’s challenging organization. But Jones’ physical tools aren’t elite, and there’s reason to think his production was largely a product of an elite group of pass-catchers.
