2021 NFL Draft rookie profile: Alabama QB Mac Jones

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The 2021 NFL Draft quarterback class is loaded with talent. FTNFantasy’s first mock draft of the offseason has five QBs going in the top 10. One of those QBs is Alabama QB Mac Jones. And while though he’s not a surefire top-10 pick in the top 10.

What should we expect of Jones from a fantasy perspective? And where should we be rooting for him to play? This article will break it all down.

Mac Jones college stats

Jones was solid in relief of Tua Tagovailoa as a sophomore, but he really shined when given full rein of Alabama’s offense in 2020. Most of his stats really pop off the page, including nearly 350 yards per game, 11.2 yards per attempt, and a crisp 41-4 TD-INT ratio.

Mac Jones strengths

• Good at avoiding pressure in pocket
• Accuracy and ball placement
• Calm under pressure

In FTN’s first mock draft, Jones goes ninth overall to the Denver Broncos. Most mocks have Jones going later in the first, but as Jeff Ratcliffe noted in the mock: “Where quarterbacks ‘should’ go and where they actually do go in NFL drafts are two different things.”

The areas in which Jones excels are big for NFL success. He was deadly accurate in 2020, completing a whopping 77.4% of his passes for 11.2 yards per attempt. Granted, Alabama WRs run wide, wide open, but Jones’ ball placement was consistently great.

Jones is also great in the pocket. He’s good at sliding in the pocket to avoid pressure, but even when the pressure is coming, he remains calm and is able to get the ball out to hot reads. These are traits that some QBs never learn at the NFL level, and folding under pressure can be a career-ender. Jones shouldn’t struggle in that regard.

Mac Jones weaknesses

• One year as a starter
• Mediocre arm strength
• No rushing ability

While Jones was remarkable as a passer in 2020, it was just one season worth of tape in one of the most dominant offenses in college football in some time. And Alabama’s WR talent is NFL caliber as well. You may not call this a fair “weakness,” but the fact is that Jones hasn’t performed at a high level for long enough to be considered a slam-dunk.

Jones also has a middling arm. He’s accurate on short and intermediate throws, but deeper passer and tight-window zip throws may be a challenge at the NFL, where defenders will close fast. 

And finally, while Jones is solid at sliding in the pocket to avoid pressure, he has no rushing upside to speak of. This may not be a crippling weakness from a real football perspective, but it’s definitely a weakness for fantasy players.

Mac Jones a fit in Denver or Washington?

Jones is primed to go in the first round, and while the top 10 is a possibility, we’ll extend these possible landing spots to any team. Here are three good landing spots from a fantasy perspective.

• Denver Broncos: This is where Jones goes in FTN’s first mock draft. Jones would be reunited with former Alabama stud WR Jerry Jeudy, to go along with budding TE talent Noah Fant and a solid rushing/receiving-back duo of Melvin Gordon and Phillip Lindsay. It’s an above-average supporting cast of talent, though the receivers are all still young, so there would be some growing pains.
• Carolina Panthers: Face it: The Panthers would be the best landing spot for any rookie QB from a fantasy perspective. The supporting cast is Tier 1 in the NFL (D.J. Moore, Robby Anderson and Christian McCaffrey). Any QB starting for the Panthers in 2021 will be a fantasy streaming option at a minimum.
• Washington Football Team: Alex Smith is in the twilight of his career, Taylor Heinicke doesn’t have enough of a pedigree/resume combination to fully trust (excellent playoff performance notwithstanding), and Washington could find themselves in a position to snag Jones if he slips into the second half of the first round. The offense has a superstar WR1 in Terry McLaurin, a workhorse RB in Antonio Gibson, and one of the league’s premiere defenses. The WFT appears to be a team on the rise.

Mac Jones fantasy outlook

Jones’ fantasy upside is not as enticing as the others in this class, mostly due to the fact that he has no rushing upside to speak of (14 rushing yards in 13 games last year) — while his 2021 draft-class peers are either above-average or elite rushers. He will not be drafted in redraft leagues in 2021, and he’s a speculative, third-string backup add in dynasty leagues — especially if he slips out of the top 10 on draft day.