Drew Brees loved what the Patriots did in the first round of the draft this past spring, and he hasn’t moved off that stance.
In fact, the future Hall of Fame quarterback only has dug in deeper.
As Brees recently explained during an NBC Sports conference call, he was all in favor of New England selecting Mac Jones with the 15th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. The New Orleans Saints legend believes Jones has the skill set to be an impact player in the league right away.
“So as I was watching the draft, the minute the Patriots took Mac Jones at 15th, I said, that’s the steal of the draft,” Jones told reporters, as transcribed by WEEI. “It’s probably the guy who is most ready to play NFL quarterback right now, of all the guys who were taken before. His level of execution last year at Alabama, and I know we can sit here and argue he’s got the best players on the field on his side, on both sides of the ball. But in watching the National Championship Game, that’s where it became very evident to me. This guy’s level of execution, his understanding of offensive football, his timing, his rhythm, his ability not only to make the routine throws but to make throws that you’re going to need to make at the next level in order to win games and take care of the football the way he did, I felt like he was the most NFL-ready.”
Jones enters the NFL with a quarterback class that includes multiple signal-callers with very high ceilings, including Trevor Lawrence, Justin Fields and Trey Lance. But Brees believes Jones will pace his peers in the years to come.
“For all those reasons I think Mac Jones is going to have the most success of any rookie quarterback, not just this year but probably for the next few years,” Brees told reporters.
Jones will receive his first taste of NFL regular-season action Sunday when the Patriots host the Miami Dolphins for a Week 1 divisional showdown.
