NFL mock draft 2021: Justin Fields, Trey Lance land in perfect situations

2021 NFL mock draft: Round 1, 8th overall

The 49ers trading up to No. 3 may block the Carolina Panthers from trading up for a quarterback in the 2021 NFL Draft. Many teams will likely be calling the Atlanta Falcons with interest in that fourth overall pick and the Falcons may be hesitant to make a deal with a division rival. In this NFL mock draft, the Patriots were the team to trade up to No. 4 but the Panthers are still able to sit back and snag a franchise quarterback.

Now, I am not the biggest Mac Jones fan and would not advocate for him going this high. That being said, he clearly has a ton of fans around the league and Jones appears to be trending towards being a top 10 selection. The Panthers are clearly looking for a long-term option at the quarterback position and Jones fits the bill.

Jones is an extremely smart and accurate passer who scans the field well and does a great job of working through his progressions. He shows good accuracy to all levels of the field and has enough arm strength to hit the deep ball. Jones lacks ideal athleticism at the quarterback position but he does show good instincts in the pocket and has a knack for creating just enough time to get his throw off.

While Jones is not the most physically gifted quarterback in this class, he does have a chance to be successful at the next level if he is surrounded by enough talent. It is difficult to determine whether the Panthers would be able to support Jones enough for him to succeed but this does feel like a realistic possibility.