Former Alabama quarterback Mac Jones slid all the way to Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots at No. 15 in the first round of the 2021 NFL draft.
While the team brought back their 2020 starting quarterback, Cam Newton, on a one-year deal, Jones is thought of as the future of the franchise. There is still a possibility he sees a decent amount of playing time in his first NFL season.
ESPN’s Mike Clay put together projected rookie passing stats for a few quarterbacks, Jones being one of them.
Clay predicts Jones will throw for 1,410 yards and seven touchdowns, which ranks at the bottom of the five quarterbacks he compiled projections for.
Jones is likely in the worst situation to see immediate playing time as a rookie of the five that were drafted in the first round. All other quarterbacks selected in the first round prior to Jones will likely have a guaranteed starting job by Week 1.
There’s no telling what the future holds for Jones in 2021, but throwing for seven touchdowns and over 1,000 yards does not seem all too bad for a presumed backup.