Where Patriots Stand In NFL Draft Market Amid Mac Jones Reports

Mac Jones hasn’t played in an NFL football game since January 8, 2023, yet the outlook on his future with the New England Patriots has somehow flipped and flopped on a regular basis over the past few months.

It’s kind of obvious why that outlook has changed. There have been reports on both sides of the coin this offseason, with some believing the Patriots are prepared to roll with Jones and others believing it’s time for them to move on. On Tuesday, we came to a crossroads as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reported had “shopped Jones to multiple teams this offseason,” before Mark Daniels of MassLive immediately refuted the report with one of his own.

While there’s no way of knowing which is true, there are some ways that these reports have affected bettors as we approach the 2023 NFL Draft.

On one side, the Patriots have entered the group of favorites to draft some quarterback prospects come the end of the month. On the other side, they’re also among the favorites to draft some of the top offensive weapons in the draft, seemingly to help out Jones should New England decide to move on.

Here are some 2023 NFL Draft prospects and the odds of the Patriots drafting them, per DraftKings Sportsbook:

WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba (+750)
WR Quentin Johnston (+750)
QB Will Levis (+900)
QB Hendon Hooker (+1100)

The list is an interesting one, as both Smith-Njigba and Johnston are considered good enough to be selected in the middle of the first round. The Patriots, of course, hold the No. 14 selection in this year’s draft. Levis is also considered a possibility to go in the first round, though it is likely the highest he will go is the end of the first round. Hooker, on the other hand is a second-to-third-round prospect.

The fact that New England is even in the discussion for those receivers helps lend credence to a report that they were looking to add a wideout or corner with the No. 14 pick. Are those quarterbacks sneaking into consideration? Well, maybe the Patriots do want to move on from Jones.