Mac Jones is not getting the respect he deserves. What he did at Alabama last season was nothing short of special, and people still refuse to believe in his talent. Throwing for 4,500 yards, 41 touchdowns, and just 4 interceptions are absurd numbers, no matter who your weapons are.
The main knocks on Jones are he had an elite offensive line and some of the best pass-catchers in the country. He also doesn’t have the super arm strength that Lawrence or other prospects possess, but he can still fit the ball into tight windows given his unparalleled accuracy. Every single one of Jones’s passes was on-target, perfect spiral balls that could not be thrown any better. A completion percentage of 77.4 backs that up nicely.
What Jones portrays best at the quarterback position is his anticipation. Anticipation is one of the most important qualities for quarterbacks. The ability to read a receiver getting open before he does and getting the ball out quickly is vital at the professional level.
Jones goes through his progressions quickly before deciding where to pinpoint the ball, even when a defender is draped over his target. Jones does not have elite athleticism to escape the pocket and avoid pass-rushers, but his quick reads and anticipation allow him to get the ball out before any of that can happen.
He displays great poise in the pocket, even with defenders about to make the tackle on him. Alabama’s offensive line had setbacks last season and Jones took plenty of hits, despite the narrative he worked with a clean pocket all season long.
Question marks regarding the competition level of the opponent are legitimate for players like Zack Wilson and Trey Lance but couldn’t possibly be applied to Jones. He led a dominant passing attack against both Notre Dame and Ohio State in the College Football Playoffs. Combining for 761 passing yards and 9 touchdowns in both games, Jones proved he can prevail against the toughest of competition.
The Senior Bowl is where he shut down any scouting questions. Despite having nothing to prove, Jones put on a show in Mobile and was without a doubt the best quarterback there. Coached by Carolina’s Matt Rhule, Jones picked up his pro system quickly and excelled in it. For a squad that was without the best talent in the nation in the receiving corps and along the offensive line, Jones made them look great.
And for those saying Jones is completely immobile and cannot escape the pocket, just watch what he did against the best Seniors in the country.
He can quickly avoid pressure and find the check down. And when the pocket collapses, Jones displayed the legs to get out of there when necessary.
I used a majority of clips from the Senior Bowl to prove that Jones remained elite even without the top-tier talent of Alabama surrounding him. People want to pigeon-hole Mac Jones into a game-manager rather than a great quarterback prospect because he doesn’t have the sexy traits that everyone loves to see. However, Jones possesses all the qualities a quarterback needs to excel in the NFL.
