Were the Patriots Lucky to Draft Mac Jones at #15?
The New England Patriots were speculated to be a team that could trade up for a quarterback early in the first round during the weeks ahead of the 2021 NFL Draft. Mac Jones was certain to go third overall to the San Francisco 49ers at the time, whereas both Justin Fields and Trey Lance’s fates were yet to be decided.
When it was all said and done, Lance went to San Francisco, Fields went to Chicago after the Bears jumped up eight positions, and the Patriots stuck at No. 15 overall and were still able to get Jones, who might have been their favourite pick all along. It seemed like they got rewarded for their patience.
However, it’s arguable whether the Patriots got lucky or played the draft game smartly. Maybe it was a combination of the two. Nevertheless, the recent post-draft chatter indicates that they had a little luck in drafting Jones where they did.
The Patriots got lucky on the draft night?
On “The Rich Eisen Show”, the host asked Chris Brockman why the latter was not excited about the New England franchise picking Mac Jones this year.
Brockman responded, “I’m not excited. Because here’s why he’s not going to start week one how do you know why did you give cam a big raise then? You knew that you were going to do something if you didn’t give Cam something like that. You knew that you were going to make a move. You got lucky that mac jones dropped to you.”
He continued, “They got lucky that Denver and Carolina didn’t take him that nobody traded up I mean the Bears traded up ahead of him. For one of the guys that I wanted, it’s not sexy. They bought a brand new minivan and are pumped about it. Like I wanted a Tesla or a sports car in the garage on draft morning and I didn’t get it. If they were gonna get a guy like this, why didn’t they just trade for Jimmy G again? It’s the same guy.”
What if they hadn’t got Jones?
It’s amusing to speculate about what the Patriots would have done if Jones had been selected a few picks earlier. They were reportedly interested in offensive guard Alijah Vera-Tucker, but the New York Jets drafted him one pick ahead of them, so that ship sailed ahead of the New England franchise.
In that situation, they could have traded back to get more picks or draft the next-highest offensive lineman on their list. What were the chances? Maybe Kwity Paye, who was unexpectedly selected 21st overall by the Indianapolis Colts, could have been a good fit for the Patriots.
No matter what the case might have been, Patriots fans should be happy about their new quarterback, even if Mac doesn’t get enough starts this season. New England seems to have played the drafting game well and their management has found a long-term future quarterback. And in that regard, Jones’s talent and skills are undeniable.
