The 2021 NFL Draft will be a great event for teams to start building for their future. Here is the Mac Jones 2021 NFL Draft Profile.
Position: Quarterback
Size: 6-foot-3, 214 pounds
Class: Redshirt Junior
2020 stats: 4,500 passing yards, 41 touchdowns, 4 interceptions, 77.4 percent completion, 11.2 yards per attempt
Jones had a fantastic season that saw him put up great numbers and win the National Championship for Alabama. Following the year, he declared for the 2021 NFL Draft.
Entering college, Jones was a four-star recruit who left Florida for Alabama. He sat and waited his turn behind Jalen Hurts and Tua Tagovailoa for the first few years on campus after redshirting in his initial year with Alabama. When Tagovailoa suffered an injury in 2019, Jones stepped in for the remainder of the season and led the Crimson Tide to a Citrus Bowl victory over Michigan. He finished the year with 1,503 passing yards, 14 touchdowns and three interceptions on 68.8 percent completion. Jones beat out freshman Bryce Young for the job in 2020 and didn’t disappoint. He passed for 4,500 yards, 41 touchdowns and four interceptions on 77.4 percent completion. His play propelled Alabama to a National Championship.
Following his great season, Jones has seen his draft stock rise a lot. He is currently projected to be selected in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft.
Mac Jones
Jones is great at reading a field and processing. Starting from before the snap, Jones does a good job of reading what the defense is going to do. After the snap, he processes fast and can go through his progressions quickly. Because of this, he gets the ball out of his hand quickly and lets his playmakers go to work.
To the short and intermediate areas of the field, Jones has solid accuracy. Most of the time he is able to hit his receivers on short routes, while putting it in an ideal place to run after the catch. He is also able to throw receivers open in these areas of the field as well.
Protecting the ball may be Jones’ greatest strength. He put up a lot of big numbers with only four interceptions in 2020. Jones doesn’t put the ball in harm’s way very much. Because of his ability to read the field, Jones uses that information to make good decisions with the football. He will tuck the ball or throw the ball away if he needs to.
Jones doesn’t have the greatest arm strength in the class. It is good enough to be an NFL starter, but it will be average at best during his NFL career. His ball can hang in the air, which can give defenders a chance to make a play on the ball. This is especially true on his throws of over 20 yards.
His athleticism and mobility will also hold Jones back. He isn’t mobile and won’t be able to extend plays at the next level. When he did scramble at Alabama, he had inconsistent accuracy. If teams can force Jones out of the pocket, they can expect to win the play.
Getting pressure on Jones is key. Not only does it limit what he can do because of his lack of mobility, but when he did make bad decisions, it was when he faced pressure. He threw balls up for grabs and into double coverage at times because of pressure.
Projected Draft Range: First Round Pick-Second Round Pick
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