The New England Patriots are in need of a long-term solution at the quarterback position, and this year’s draft offers some intriguing talent. Five players among the QBs entering the draft stand out above the rest: Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence, Ohio State’s Justin Fields, BYU’s Zach Wilson, North Dakota State’s Trey Lance, and Alabama’s Mac Jones.
The Patriots are seen as the perfect landing spot for one of them, at least according to SB Nation’s James Dator. Looking for the best destinations for the top-five passers, New England was named as the best-case destination for Jones:
If I’m Mac Jones I’m salivating at the idea of going to New England and working with an organization who understands how to get the most out of a quarterback with my skillset. There won’t be the pressure to start from day one, considering the Patriots just re-signed Cam Newton, but even Newton can give something to Jones: Confidence.
In watching Jones play you see the smart decision making too, but sometimes he’s too conservative for his own good. Taking the checkdown route and picking up easy yards is definitely a smart play, but we know that dinking and dunking downfield isn’t a way to consistently win in the NFL. While Jones doesn’t have the biggest arm in the draft, he has better passing skill than he sometimes even gives himself credit for. There are times he could throw a pass into a tighter window, or drive the ball downfield more — but decides not to.
Cam Newton is not lacking for confidence, and I think being in the quarterback room with someone like that could actually make Mac Jones better as a result. At that point he’d be even better equipped to be a Bill Belichick quarterback.
Jones is one of the more polarizing players in this year’s draft. While there are rumblings the San Francisco 49ers might want to select him third overall, it also would not be a surprise to see him fall out of the top-10 — and maybe even in the Patriots’ range.
There is no guarantee New England would take him if that happens, but Jones himself should be quite happy if he ends up getting drafted by the Patriots. If there is one team able to get the most out of his skillset, it might just be the Patriots.