Seven potential landing spots for Mac Jones in this year's NFL draft
Maybe it wasn’t just Alabama’s offense after all. Mac Jones has backed up last season’s record-breaking stats this week, creating some serious buzz during Senior Bowl workouts in Mobile, Ala.
The All-American quarterback has been one of the standout performers during practice, receiving praise from both coaches and analysts alike.
Following Wednesday’s practice, ESPN analyst Louis Riddick tweeted that Jones “could not have had a better day than he did today,” stating that the former Crimson Tide passer had “total command of every play he participated in and threw the ball with exceptional accuracy.” Thursday, ESPN analyst Field Yates tweeted that the former Tide quarterback had a “really impressive week,” stating that he "brought his Alabama accuracy to practice, made good decisions, showed natural leadership.”
Carolina Panthers head coach Matt Rhule, who is coaching Jones on the American Team, was also impressed with his mental makeup, stating the quarterback had “really strong traits.”
“The guy was just playing two weeks ago,” Rhule said of Jones on Wednesday. “The fact that he’s here, I think, speaks a lot about who he is. You get a chance to see his intelligence. He makes really quick decisions. He processes information quickly, highly intelligent. He’s an alpha. He’s the first guy on the practice field. He’s the first guy in the runnings.”
Jones earned the Davey O'Brien, Johnny Unitas Golden Arm and Manning awards last season, passing for a school-best 4,500 yards as well as 41 touchdowns to just four interceptions. The right-hander also set the NCAA’s single-season records in completion percentage (77.4) and quarterback efficiency rating (203.06).
Those stats, along with recent performances have seen Jones’ draft stock begin to soar. Last year, Tua Tagovailoa became the first former Alabama quarterback in 44 years to be selected in the first round. At this point, it’s looking likely that Jones will replicate the feat year.
Here’s a list of seven places Jones could land in this year’s draft.
No. 8 — Carolina Panthers
Even after Rhule’s comments on Jones, the No. 8 pick seems a bit high for the former Alabama quarterback. But should it?
When evaluating the rest of the draft board, there are a handful of teams in front of Carolina who might take a quarterback. Jacksonville seems certain to pick Trevor Lawrence with the No. 1 overall pick, while the Jets sit at No. 2 with serious questions over their future plans behind center. Atlanta could be in the market for a quarterback at No. 4, while Detroit will also be looking for a passer at No. 7 after agreeing to part ways with Matthew Stafford.
Carolina will also need to evaluate its options at quarterback moving forward. If passers are flying off the shelf come late April, the Panthers could decide to pounce on Jones early.
No. 15 — New England Patriots
ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. projected Jones to fall to New England at No. 15 overall in his latest mock draft. That’s been a relatively popular projection among other analysts as well considering the Patriots’ need at quarterback as well as the connection between Bill Belichick and Nick Saban.
