Potential Patriots QB Mac Jones Sees Draft Stock Soar During Senior Bowl
The Patriots will need to use the No. 15 pick if they want Mac Jones
GameStop isn’t the only commodity seeing its stock skyrocket this week.
Alabama quarterback Mac Jones vaulted himself into the top 15 conversation in the 2021 NFL Draft after Senior Bowl practices.
Former New York Jets general manager and ESPN analyst Mike Tannenbaum is among those buying and now believes Jones will be drafted in the first half of the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft after impressing in Mobile, Ala.
The Patriots hold the 15th overall pick in the draft and met with Jones at the Senior Bowl.
Jones completed 77.4 percent of his passes for 4,500 yards with 41 touchdowns and four interceptions in 13 games during the 2020 college season. Jones went 36-of-45 for 464 yards with five touchdowns in Alabama’s 52-24 College Football Championship win over Ohio State.
The Patriots only have two quarterbacks under contract for the 2021 NFL season, second-year players Jarrett Stidham and Jake Dolegala. Veteran quarterbacks Cam Newton and Brian Hoyer are set to become unrestricted free agents in March.
If the Patriots like Jones, they’ll likely need to take him at No. 15 overall rather than waiting to pick him later in the draft. Jones is considered the No. 5 ranked quarterback in the 2021 NFL Draft behind Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence, Ohio State’s Justin Fields, BYU’s Zach Wilson and North Dakota State’s Trey Lance.
The Patriots also could elect to re-sign Newton or add another available veteran quarterback like Matthew Stafford, Jimmy Garoppolo or Ryan Fitzpatrick this offseason.
