Mac Jones NFL ‘what if’ draft: How good will the QB Patriots be with the Jaguars, Jets, Bears or 49ers?

Four NFL teams have turned against the Mac, and the Patriots QB are probably pleased with that result.

There are five first-round quarterbacks in the 2021 NFL Draft and a fifth off the table with the most success at the start of the 2021 NFL season. It came as something of a surprise to some, but not many for with others.

So far, the rookie draft class looks like the rookie, but Mac Jones has separated himself from the group thanks to a really solid New England supporting cast that has highlighted his talent.

Although Jones doesn’t have the strongest arm, nor is he the most maneuverable, he is precise and

But what if pre-draft hype seeped into the brains of the four teams that used the pre-Jones midfield? How will it happen?

Jacksonville Jaguars

Urban Meyer’s offense (with help from Darrell Bevell and Brian Schottenheimer) has looked fine on the ground this year: Their 5.1-yard-per-mission collective is good for second in the NFL. Good attacking teams are always helpful with young passers.

That said, the Jaguars are still in contention with Trevor Lawrence, who threw nine interceptions during the season, despite being the most heralded QB prospect on several occasions.

Jones has made his life below, and passing efforts in depth and direction are pretty comparable between the two passers. It’s hard to see any QB rookies going to work with this vast acquisition corps, or the lack of really tight end-threats, an issue that was somewhat remedied in the Dan Arnold acquisition. (Tim Tebow is a freelance agent, you know).

Will it work? Are not.

New York Jets

This is where things get interesting. While Jones doesn’t boast of the explosive arm talent Zach Wilson has displayed at points throughout the season, the Mike LaFleur-designed style of play can comfortably match Jones’ talent.

The best example is the Jets team led by Mike White in the win over the Bengals. White’s average depth of goal in that game was 4.2 yards, essentially clearing the short lines below and letting his players do the job. However, that was not something that was sustainable over the course of 17 games.

The main problem with the Jets’ fouling will remain an ongoing one even for Jones: They don’t have anyone who can actually operate in midfield consistently or effectively. Jones has done that job using two tight finishes in New England, and the Jets barely have enough excitement to split a team in 2021.

Robert Saleh urged Zach Wilson to benefit from playing “boring football” early in the season. So far, that seems to be exactly what Jones specializes in.

Even then, with the lack of a true TE1 (or even a TE2) and with struggles in attack throughout the year, it’s hard to see Jones thrive in Year 1 with the Jets as he will. do with the Patriots.

Will it work? Are not.

San Francisco 49ers

While Jones’ physical attributes pale in comparison to 3rd overall pick Trey Lance, there are suggestions that the 49th team was actually more interested in Jones than Lance prior to the draft. It’s easy to see why.

With the 49ers’ dense onslaught, Jimmy Garoppolo doesn’t have to do much (when the running game is active, like it happened to the Rams). The real key is being able to dissect the defense and get the ball into the right place, quickly and accurately.

Coincidentally, Jones’s best traits are his ability to tackle quickly and get the ball out in a favorable position. More than physical traits, it was something shared with Garoppolo. While Garoppolo has a faster release, Jones tends to get it right faster. They also have equal arm talent.

While Jones’ ceiling isn’t as high as Trey Lance’s – just physical attributes are needed – he’s been proven earlier and the 49ers have had a couple of packs this year to take advantage of Lance’s dual-threat ability .

Throughout his coaching career, however, Shanahan has always seemed to prefer buttoned passers (Matt Ryan, Kirk Cousins, Garoppolo), meaning the introduction of a talented guy like Lance could force must evolve criminal behavior.

Given that Jones was aided by a strong running game and a good tight-finished corps in New England, with an expansion of the Niners and a strong running game (and a healthy game by George Kittle) , it’s easy to see why Kyle Shanahan was drawn to the opportunity to draft Alabama’s quarterback quartet.

Will it work? Correct.

Chicago Bears

Part of the reason why the Bears picked Mitchell Trubisky in 2017 was because of his dual threat ability in midfield, so it’s easy to see why Justin Fields is an option for Ryan Pace and Nagy in 2021.

While Nagy was hired in 2018, the idea was that he would bring some of that Kansas City offense to the Bears to really help raise Trubisky’s game. That didn’t really work out, and the team went back and forth between Trubisky and Nick Foles in 2020, before finding QB with Justin Fields again in 2021.

Nagy’s offense and games have burned, and the Bears head coach hasn’t done much to help reduce the offense this year to cater more towards unconventional material gifts. by Fields. Nagy’s RPO tilt scheme relies more on smart, agile thinking than on physical talent.

Interestingly, with the Bears signing Andy Dalton before the Fields draft, perhaps it’s an indication of the type of quarterback Nagy wants going forward: A pure passer who can Read the position before and after a tick. Fields’ biggest criticism of the game was his ability to read defense, even when it was an overplayed red flag.

There are also cases where the attack path is not good. Fields’ elusiveness has helped a lot in getting out of the rush, though he’s still been fired 29 times this year.

All things said: The problem with the Bears is not who’s in midfield, but who’s going to call the plays for that quarterback and what’s around him. Obviously, if the Bears jump to 11th and trade their first pick in the future to pick Fields before Jones, perhaps that will tell you how his skill set feels.

Will it work? Are not.