New England Patriots 2021 NFL Draft grades: More than just a quarterback

The most pivotal draft for the New England Patriots organization in the last two decades, Bill Belichick has not only been challenged with finding a new franchise quarterback but also supplementing an aging defense with an infusion of young talent to hopefully reinvigorate an uninspiring pass-rush.

With a plethora of mid-round selections heading into the 2021 NFL Draft, New England gave themselves the opportunity to move up for some of their favorite players remaining on the board come days two and three.

After being beaten to the punch by the Chicago Bears, the New England Patriots still land one of the top-five quarterbacks of the 2021 NFL Draft without having to expend additional draft capital to improve their position. Although New England’s offensive system has been redesigned to better fit the skill set of incumbent starter Cam Newton, Mac Jones is a quarterback prospect eerily similar to recently departed franchise legend Tom Brady.

In both stature and offensive command, Jones is a cerebral signal-caller who made the absolute most of his weapons in the Crimson Tide offense. Surrounded by three first-round weapons including Heisman-winning wideout Devonta Smith, Jones used a quick release and accurate ball placement to the boundary.

Able to distribute the ball to a number of targets with efficiency and quick decision-making, Jones would likely draw more comparisons to Brady upon being drafted if the NFL hadn’t witnessed a rushing-oriented offensive system.

Grade: A-