2021 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Mac Jones

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Mac Jones, 6-3/214 Quarterback Alabama

Mac Jones Scouting Report
By Charlie Campbell

Strengths:

Intelligent

Accurate passer

Pocket composure

Good decision maker

Ball placement

Throws a very catchable ball

Good timing

Shows anticipation

Quality field vision

Able to loft in touch passes

Natural feel; instinctive passer

Leads receivers for more yardage after the catch

Moves eyes through progressions

Good internal clock

Mastered his offense

Intangibles

Hard worker

Good character

Good fit in a west coast offense

Has had success against good competition

Weaknesses:

Quality arm strength, but not elite

Not a running threat

Enough size but not especially big

Limited experience; 1-year wonder

Might only be a game manager in the NFL

Summary: Jones was thrust into the starting lineup for Alabama in 2019 after Tua Tagovailoa’s hip injury, and Jones was solid in his debut. He completed 69 percent of his passes that season for 1,503 yards, 14 touchdowns and three interceptions. Jones took his game to another level in 2020, showing a lot of development as the entrenched starter. In 2020, Jones completed 77 percent of his passes for 4,500 yards, 41 touchdowns and four interceptions while leading the Crimson Tide to another National Championship.

Jones might top out in the NFL as a backup quarterback. He has a quality arm, but does not elite arm strength and is not a running threat for the next level. Jones has ability in terms of moving his feet in the pocket, so he is not a statue, but he will not be a dual-threat quarterback in the pros.

While Jones does not exceptional arm strength or playmaking ability with his feet, he is an accurate passer. He places his ball well, putting it in position for his receiver to make the catch while avoiding putting the pass in danger of being intercepted. Jones is a smart decision maker who protects the ball well and doesn’t get careless or panic. He also demonstrated anticipation to help throw receivers open in 2020.

Jones is largely a confident, calm, poised, and efficient pocket passer. He stands tall in the pocket and consistently distributes the ball. Jones shows good timing and precision to hit his receivers through windows in coverage while leading them to produce more yards after the catch. His calm and poised approach lends to him showing field vision in the pocket, where he will move his eyes and work off his primary read. Jones is a smart quarterback and plays the game with real intelligence. As a pro, Jones would fit best in a west coast offense.



There was a decent variety of rankings when WalterFootball.com sought opinions on Jones from five different teams regarding the 2021 NFL Draft. Three had a fourth-round grade on Jones, one had him on the bubble between Rounds 2 and 3, and one team gave him a second-round grade. An AFC general manager said the second round was too high for Jones, calling him a mid-round talent, so opinions vary on Jones across the league.

“[Jones is] a stronger-armed Jake Fromm,” said one area scout. “He distributes the ball well to all those great weapons. Jones has some ability. His arm is good enough, a little stronger than Jake’s. Mac can anticipate, and sees the field well. I think he could have a career in the NFL similar to Matt Barkley.”

Another team source who graded Jones (6-3, 214) down in the fourth round said they felt he was a shorter A.J. McCarron. Similar to McCarron, Jones was surrounded with a phenomenal set of wide receivers, a tough offensive line with future early-round picks, and a dynamic running game. Team sources say Jones did a good job of managing the game and getting the ball to his playmakers.

Jones could end up as a second-day pick who is a solid backup. He may be able to top out as a mid-level starter, like a Kirk Cousins.



Player Comparison: Matt Barkley. I think Jones could end up being a similar quarterback to Barkley in the NFL. Some team sources agreed with the Barkley comparison, others said a shorter A.J. McCarron, and another suggested a stronger-armed Jake Fromm. Barkley (6-2, 234) and Jones are similar in size with some skill-set limitations.

2021 NFL Draft Player Previews - Choose Player 2021 NFL Draft Player Previews - Home Paulson Adebo, CB, Stanford Tutu Atwell, WR, Louisville Jhamon Ausbon, WR, Texas A&M Aaron Banks, G, Notre Dame Christian Barmore, DT, Alabama Carlos Basham, DE, Wake Forest Rashod Bateman, WR, Minnesota Nick Bolton, LB, Missouri Baron Browning, LB, Ohio State Dyami Brown, WR, North Carolina Spencer Brown, OT, Northern Iowa Tyson Campbell, CB, Georgia Jackson Carman, OT, Clemson Ja'Marr Chase, WR, LSU Andre Cisco, S, Syracuse Zaven Collins, LB, Tulsa Sam Cosmi, OT, Texas Jabril Cox, LB, LSU Christian Darrisaw, OT, Virginia Tech Jamin Davis, LB, Kentucky Wyatt Davis, G, Ohio State Landon Dickerson, C, Alabama Liam Eichenberg, OT, Notre Dame D'Wayne Eskridge, WR, Western Michigan Travis Etienne, RB, Clemson Caleb Farley, CB, Virginia Tech Justin Fields, QB, Ohio State Paris Ford, S, Pittsburgh Pat Freiermuth, TE, Penn State Kenny Gainwell, RB, Memphis Richie Grant, S, Central Florida Najee Harris, RB, Alabama Kylin Hill, RB, Mississippi State Trey Hill, C, Georgia Jevon Holland, S, Oregon Jaycee Horn, CB, South Carolina James Hudson, OT, Cincinnati Talanoa Hufanga, S, USC Creed Humphrey, C, Oklahoma Teven Jenkins, OT, Oklahoma State Mac Jones, QB, Alabama Patrick Jones, DE, Pittsburgh Brevin Jordan, TE, Miami Kelvin Joseph, CB, Kentucky Trey Lance, QB, North Dakota State Trevor Lawrence, QB, Clemson Alex Leatherwood, OT, Alabama Walker Little, OT, Stanford Hunter Long, TE, Boston College Terrace Marshall Jr., WR, LSU Jalen Mayfield, OT, Michigan Tre' McKitty, TE, Georgia Davis Mills, QB, Stanford Trevon Moehrig, S, TCU Elijah Molden, CB, Washington Kellen Mond, QB, Texas A&M Dan Moore Jr., OT, Texas A&M Elijah Moore, WR, Ole Miss Rondale Moore, WR, Purdue Dylan Moses, LB, Alabama Israel Mukuamu, CB, South Carolina Jamie Newman, QB, Wake Forest Greg Newsome, CB, Northwestern Daviyon Nixon, DT, Iowa Dayo Odeyingbo, DE, Vanderbilt Osa Odighizuwa, DT, UCLA Azeez Ojulari, LB, Georgia Levi Onwuzurike, DT, Washington Joseph Ossai, LB, Texas Jayson Oweh, DE, Penn State Jeremiah Owusu-Koromoah, LB, Notre Dame Micah Parsons, LB, Penn State Kwity Paye, DE, Michigan Ronnie Perkins, OLB, Oklahoma Jaelan Phillips, DE, Miami Kyle Pitts, TE, Florida Dillon Radunz, OT, North Dakota Aaron Robinson, CB, Central Florida Quincy Roche, OLB, Miami Larry Rountree, RB, Missouri Gregory Rousseau, DE, Miami Asante Samuel Jr., CB, Florida State Trey Sermon, RB, Ohio State Penei Sewell, OT, Oregon Tyler Shelvin, DT, LSU Rashawn Slater, C, Northwestern DeVonta Smith, WR, Alabama D'Ante Smith, OT, East Carolina Trey Smith, G, Tennessee Marquez Stevenson, WR, Houston Rhamondre Stevenson, RB, Oklahoma Eric Stokes, CB, Georgia Chazz Surratt, LB, North Carolina Sage Surratt, WR, Wake Forest Patrick Surtain, CB, Alabama Tamorrion Terry, WR, Florida State Kadarius Toney, WR, Florida Kyle Trask, QB, Florida Joe Tryon, DE, Washington Jay Tufele, DT, USC Payton Turner, DE, Houston T.J. Vasher, WR, Texas Tech Alijah Vera-Tucker, OT, USC Jaylen Waddle, WR, Alabama Tylan Wallace, WR, Oklahoma State Rashad Weaver, DE, Pittsburgh Javonte Williams, RB, North Carolina Rodarius Williams, CB, Oklahoma State Marvin Wilson, DT, Florida State Zach Wilson, QB, BYU

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