Patriots select Alabama QB Mac Jones with 15th overall pick

The future has arrived in New England.

The Patriots selected Alabama quarterback Mac Jones with the 15th overall pick in the opening round of the NFL Draft Thursday night. Jones led the Crimson Tide to a national championship last year, his only full season as a starter. He completed 77.4% of his passes for 4,500 yards, 41 touchdowns and four interceptions.

Jones was the fifth quarterback taken in the first round. He’s regarded for his leadership, football IQ and middle-of-the-field accuracy. Jones protects the football well, and his ability to throw with anticipation is regarded as the best in this year’s class.

Questions about Jones during the draft process pertained to his mobility, arm strength and surrounding cast. Jones threw to a pair of top-10 picks last season and was protected by the best offensive line in college football.

“This is what I wanted all along,” Jones told the NFL Network after his selection. “I can’t wait to play for really the greatest franchise in NFL history.”

He’s expected to compete with Cam Newton for the starting job. The Patriots also have 2019 fourth-rounder Jarrett Stidham on the roster.

The Jaguars opened the draft by taking Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence with the first overall pick, a foregone conclusion for months. Lawrence was viewed as a generational talent for the entirety of his college career, first winning the national championship as a freshman and then leading Clemson to the College Football Playoff in each of his last two seasons. The Jets followed by picking BYU quarterback Zach Wilson with the No. 2, another widely expected selection.

The 49ers unofficially kicked off the draft at third overall, where they called on North Dakota State quarterback Trey Lance. San Francisco coach Kyle Shanahan later said Lance was their target all along, after the team traded two future first-round picks and a third-rounder to move up to No. 3. Lance is expected to sit behind Jimmy Garoppolo for the 2021 season.

No more quarterbacks went until eight picks later, when the Bears traded up with the Giants to select Ohio State’s Justin Fields at No. 11 overall. Chicago surrendered their first-rounder at 20th overall, a fifth-round pick, a 2022 first-round pick and 2022 fourth-rounder in the deal. Around Fields’ selection, two potential Patriots targets were taken, with Alabama wideout Devonta Smith going to the Eagles and Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons falling to Dallas at 12th overall.

from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/2QAyuO8