FIRST ROUND
QB Mac Jones Alabama (via trade), Ht/Wt: 6-3, 217
The Pats trade the 15th overall pick, their second-rounder at No. 46 and one of three fourth-round picks, No. 139, to Carolina and move up seven spots, one ahead of QB-needy Denver. Despite the expectation Jones will go third overall to San Francisco, it makes little sense the 49ers would trade three first-round picks to leap nine spots for a high-floor prospect widely regarded as the fifth-best at his position. The bet here is the Niners take Justin Fields or Trey Lance, players who can sit for a year and begin realizing their superior potential behind Jimmy Garoppolo.
Furthermore, and perhaps most importantly, those players were regarded as better prospects than Jones up until the last two weeks, AKA “lying season.”
After Fields, Jones ranks as the most obvious quarterback fit in New England. He’s regarded for his leadership, football IQ and middleof-the-field accuracy, protects the football and started almost a season and a half at Alabama (the Pats prefer quarterback prospects with experience. Lance only had 318 career pass attempts). Jones also shined at the Senior Bowl, a major event on the Pats’ draft calendar.
Concerns over his surrounding talent are slightly overstated. Fields shared a locker room with more than a dozen future pros at Ohio State, and Lance played at the Alabama of the FCS level. Fields and Lance do offer higher ceilings, but, for better or worse, Jones fits what the Patriots have historically sought at the position and should be available late in the top 10.