2021 NFL Draft: Mac Jones hype is getting out of hand
While the order has continued to change, there have primarily been four top quarterbacks at the top of the 2021 NFL Draft class. Clemson superstar Trevor Lawrence is the clear No. 1 guy by most, followed by Justin Fields, Zach Wilson and Trey Lance in some order. However, we have seen Alabama quarterback Mac Jones start to significantly rise boards in recent weeks and he clearly has major fans from throughout the league.
Even when Mac Jones was putting up big numbers during this past season, he was considered a fringe first-round 2021 NFL Draft prospect throughout the early part of the process. His limited natural arm talent and mobility limit his upside at the next level and it is difficult to imagine a team invested a top 10 pick in a quarterback like him in the modern NFL.
That is not to say that there is nothing to like about Jones’ game. He is an extremely smart quarterback prospect who reads the field well and shows pin-point accuracy in the short-to-intermediate range. He throws the ball with great anticipation and pushed the ball down the field better than expected early this past season.
However, when comparing Jones’ skill-set to the top four quarterbacks in the 2021 NFL Draft mentioned above, it gets ugly. Lawrence, Fields, Wilson and Lance are all dynamic playmakers at the quarterback position who can grow into true franchise quarterbacks who can lead an NFL team to success. Jones is more of a game manager type who is going to need a lot of talent around him to succeed.
On ESPN’s Get Up earlier this week, ESPN NFL Front Office Insider Mike Tannenbaum put a floor on Mac Jones at No. 8. Tannenbaum was adamant that Jones simply would not fall past the Carolina Panthers at No. 8 and if a team wants to get in a position to land Jones (he specifically mentioned the New England Patriots), they will need to get above Carolina.
If this is true, the hype surrounding Jones is getting completely out of control. Yes, he had a great 2020 season and was an important part of Alabama’s National Championship run. However, we need to scout the player and the situation. Jones was surrounded with elite talent at Alabama and Steve Sarkisian did a great job of scheming advantageous situations for Jones all season long.
When watching Jones compared to other 2021 NFL Draft prospects, he simply had more time to work through his progressions and more wide-open throwing lanes. That Alabama offense made Jones look better than he actually is.
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That is not to say that Jones cannot be successful at the next level. If he is surrounded by impact talent in a good system, Jones can help a team have success as a starting NFL quarterback. However, he simply is not the kind of guy who elevates a franchise and leads them to success. Taking him as early as Tannenbaum is suggesting in the 2021 NFL Draft would be a mistake.