Mac Jones surpassed all expectations given to him heading into the 2020 college football season. Instead of being a “game manager,” as some have put it, he was a star that likely earned himself an NFL job by way of the first round.
Though he’s not the strongest, fastest or most mobile quarterback in the loaded 2021 class, Jones has a skillset that has proven to be valuable in the NFL. He can accurately throw the ball and can read multiple options.
CBS Sports’ Ryan Wilson, who covers the NFL and the NFL draft, believes Jones is a risk that teams should be willing to take in the first round.
Wilson has produced mock drafts that have Jones going as high as No. 4 and No. 8.
“Jones’ accuracy and anticipation are among the best in this draft class,” writes Wilson. “His ability to consistently throw the deep ball is also noteworthy. He’s one of the smartest players — at any position — in this class, and while he’s not mobile in the Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen or Kyler Murray sense of the position, he moves well inside the pocket.
“We’ve also heard former teammates DeVonta Smith and Jaylen Waddle say they both are taking Jones over Tua Tagovailoa. That says more about Jones than Tagovailoa, who was a top-five pick in the 2020 NFL Draft and started nine games as a rookie for the Dolphins. It’s also worth mentioning that many of the questions surrounding Jones — arm strength, throwing to wide-open receivers — also applied to Tagovailoa a year ago. And you could even include mobility since Tagovailoa was coming off a serious hip injury. (And while Tua appears to be close to fully recovered, he’ll never be mistaken the aforementioned, Jackson, Allen or Murray when it comes to out-of-the-pocket athleticism.)
“So, yes, Jones is a risk in the first round but no more so (and arguably less so) than Tagovailoa, the No. 5 overall pick in last year’s draft. And though his ceiling may be low, his floor is high — higher than Tua’s and a handful of quarterbacks in the 2021 class as well.”
There is no telling where Jones will end up in the 2021 NFL draft. It seems like the only quarterback in this draft class with a definite landing spot is Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence.
It will all come down to style of play, as Jones, Justin Fields, Trey Lance and Zach Wilson all have different aspects to their game that can each help out a different system.