2021 NFL Draft: Chicago Bears trade up for QB in two-round mock draft

After bolstering their offensive line with the best guard in the draft earlier, the San Francisco 49ers move back into the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft, jumping the Indianapolis Colts to grab a quarterback.

While Mac Jones may surprise people as a first-round pick, don’t be shocked if he comes off the board on the first night of the 2021 NFL Draft. While Jones isn’t a flashy pick, he always seems to find a way to get the job done.

Jones certainly isn’t the athlete that the other quarterbacks are in this class, but he makes plenty of plays from the pocket. He may not have the raw arm talent that some others do, but he is smart and gives his receivers a chance to make plays.

Where Jones really seems to excel is with his processing. He scans the field, gets through his progressions, and often looks off defenders in the process. Sure, he’s played with some of the best receivers in college football at Alabama, but Jones helps them get open with his eyes. He never stares down one receiver, bating safeties to move one way than beating them deep the other.

Jones has enough arm talent to make the throws that he needs to. He has decent arm strength and exhibits great touch across the field. He needs to improve his pocket presence and escapability when facing pressure, but his ability to read the defense allows him to quickly get to his check-down if need be.

Jones excels at Alabama because he takes care of the ball and allows his receivers to make plays. That’s exactly what Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch should be looking for. It doesn’t have to be flashy, it just has to be effective.

Currently, with a 27-3 touchdown to interception ratio, Jones knows how to get the job done. Get the ball to Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, George Kittle, or any of his talented running backs and let them make the plays that they get paid to make.