Bucky Brooks "Mac Jones not worth a first-round pick"

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Scout's Notebook
Mac Jones not worth a first-round pick;
Published: Apr 02, 2021 at 04:47 PM

Bucky Brooks
NFL.com Analyst

Bucky Brooks: 'I just don't see Mac Jones as a first-round talent'
Former NFL player and scout Bucky Brooks knows the ins and outs of this league, providing keen insight in his notebook.

The first round of the NFL draft is generally reserved for superheroes. And the prospects with the most extraordinary physical gifts are viewed within the scouting community as top-10 talents due to their ability to transform franchises.

With that standard in mind, I just don't understand why Mac Jones is being hailed as a potential top-five pick in the 2021 class.

Perhaps the Alabama quarterback is a secret member of The Avengers, operating like Tony Stark as Iron Man. If you're not familiar with the Marvel Comics character, Stark becomes a superhero after creating an electromagnetic, armored suit that grants him superpowers. Watching Jones' meteoric rise up the charts, I believe some observers have made the Heisman Trophy finalist the Iron Man of the draft.

While I'm not issuing a complete dismissal of Jones' talents as a pinpoint passer with nice timing, touch and anticipation, he significantly benefited from playing behind an NFL-caliber offensive line with first-round talents at wide receiver and running back. The Crimson Tide offense was the armored suit that elevated Jones' game, and scouts need to keep his production in perspective when gauging his talent.

Now, of course, many of the other quarterbacks in this class played alongside five-star talents, but Jones lacks superpowers as a player himself. What happens to Tony Stark when you take away his suit?

The 6-foot-3, 217-pounder doesn't display A-grade arm talent or athleticism between the lines. Jones lacks the speed, quickness and running ability to extend plays or create big gains outside of structure. Moreover, he is confined to the pocket as a statuesque signal-caller built to throw traditional dropback passes behind a fortress.

To his credit, Jones is an outstanding rhythm passer with the capacity to string together completions on short and intermediate throws. He tosses a catchable ball with pinpoint accuracy and a deft touch, despite the fact that this wasn't always needed in Tuscaloosa. Obviously, he isn't to blame for his receivers' ability to get open -- wide open -- but scouts should note the consistent separation and space gained by 'Bama receivers at the top of routes. This led to fewer tight-window throws that challenged Jones to fit the ball into the mailbox.

Comparing Jones' skills to those of Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson, Justin Fields and Trey Lance, there is a drastic difference between the Alabama standout and those other projected first-rounders. Jones is nowhere near the athlete of Fields or Lance, and he lacks the magical arm talent to compete with the quartet in a game of H-O-R-S-E. Although football isn't the Olympic decathlon, the modern NFL's elite quarterbacks are able to deliver "wow" plays with their arm talent and athleticism.

Think about it this way: How many times have we seen Patrick Mahomes and Aaron Rodgers make a jaw-dropping throw with the game on the line? What about Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen utilizing their legs to create critical plays as runners?

If we hold Jones to that standard when it comes to quarterback play at the NFL level, the Alabama standout falls short. Far short. He is incapable of winning a shootout as a gunslinger forced to play sandlot football.

With those concerns in mind, I don't know why Jones is being viewed as a first-round prospect, much less a potential top-five pick. The top of the draft should be reserved for superheroes; Jones' lack of superpowers should keep him out of that range.

Some are comparing Jones to Joe Burrow and Baker Mayfield, two recent No. 1 overall picks who don't offer elite arm talent or exceptional athleticism. First of all, those two are outliers based on raw talent. Also, Burrow is a superior athlete to Jones. And Mayfield, well, his career plight confirms my belief in the need for elite prospects to possess superpowers. The Browns' QB1 helped his franchise hit the 2020 postseason after settling into a system that featured the running game and play-action passing attack, with a stout O-line in front of him and some five-star weapons by his side.

Jones will need a similar supporting cast to thrive at the next level. He must play behind a talented offensive line that keeps him protected and enables him to throw from a clean pocket due to his limited mobility. And he will need to play with dynamic pass catchers who enable him to dink and dunk with a variety of catch-and-run concepts.

Given the "system quarterback" feel I get when I evaluate Jones and his traits, I just cannot issue a first-round grade and tout him as a franchise player. The Alabama standout will likely hear his name called in Round 1, but his game and his lack of superpowers could predictably make him an overrated prospect when we review the 2021 draft in a few years...