Alabama QB Mac Jones is a lightning rod in the draft process.
Some consider him a player rising up draft boards, but former NFL scout Daniel Jeremiah of the NFL Network, isn’t totally sold.
First what what he likes about Jones:
“I go back and look at the things that I value at the position, and most people value when you look at accuracy, decision making and poise, he’s outstanding, off the charts in those three areas,” said Jeremiah, who co-hosts the “Moving the Sticks” podcast.
Now the “but.”
“But he just doesn’t have a lot of twitch, and you don’t see a lot of twitch with him being dynamic in terms of being able to create or escape and then you don’t see a lot twitch power on the football,” Jeremiah said. “He’s got good enough arm strength but he doesn’t have a big power arm.”
But hey, didn’t a pocket passer, lacking a lot of athletic twitch, just win his seventh Super Bowl, one Tom Brady?
“Okay, we just had a pocket passer win the Super Bowl, so this guy is a pocket passer, what’s so complicated? Well, the pocket passers that are successful in the NFL right now are the older veterans who have 15, 20 plus years of experience and knowledge to be able to have the answers to the test. When you’re a young quarterback trying to find your footing, trying to begin that knowledge, it sure is nice to be able to use your athleticism in the meantime as you’re trying to gain that experience and gain that knowledge, When things aren’t going to be perfect in front of him, I think he’s going to have a little bit of a hard time.”
With all that being said, Jeremiah feels that Jones could be a good fit for New Orleans, picking at 28, due to their infrastructure.
“If he has the right pieces that’s why to me New Orleans, if he could somehow get to the bottom of the first round, and end up in a place like New Orleans, I think he’s got a great chance to be successful in a scheme that fits, good offensive line, and the pieces around him. But I worry a little bit going to a team picking in the top half of the first round with a lot of roster holes, I don’t know.”
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