HEIGHT: 6'2 ⅝"

WEIGHT: 217

POSITIVES

— Shows a good understanding of the intent on a range of concepts. Consistently attempts to get the ball out within the framework of the play, whether it be right as his backfoot hits the top of his drop or after a single hitch. Rarely caught holding onto the ball for too long.

— Polished footwork and mechanics that have maximized his skill set.

— Excellent accuracy both in the pocket and out of structure. 

— Adequate arm strength at all three levels, able to attack deep—and all levels—by throwing on time and accurately as opposed to overwhelming arm talent. 

— Does a good job of delivering passes however needed. Quick delivery and is able to change arm angles. Will throw short RPOs like he's throwing darts.

— Not an overwhelming athlete but fluid enough to consistently throw while on the move with flashes of startling accuracy.

NEGATIVES

— Has a tendency to "fade away" on his throws, drifting backward at the end of his throwing motion that could lead him to not getting his full throwing power or having balls batted away.

— Can put the ball in harm's way trying to do a little too much. Will "wish" throws open that he determined pre-snap as opposed to progressing.

— Essentially maxed out mechanically. Not much more room for upside. 

— Played with an all-star team of talent around him and an aggressive scheme featuring RPOs and shot plays. 

— Adequate but limited athlete. Does enough at the college level but won't be able to get away with as much when trying to create a throw at the NFL level.

2020 STATISTICS

13 G, 311-of-402 (77.4%), 4,500 YDS, 41 TD, 4 INT

NOTES

— 2020 Consensus All-American

— 2020 First-Team All-SEC

— 2020 Davey O'Brien Award winner

OVERALL

Mac Jones wins with a consistent ability to put throws on time and with excellent accuracy, overcoming any arm strength and athletic deficiencies with the ability to process players quickly and change arm angles depending on the situation. The downside of Jones' polish and just adequate athleticism is that there may be a lower ceiling on his growth when he arrives in the NFL. Jones was asked to run a multitude of schemes at Alabama with a heavy emphasis on RPOs and vertical shot plays that got the ball into his talented teammates' hands.

While you can knock Jones for being a benefactor of his situation, you also have to credit him for operating the offense with maximum precision. He did a nice job of getting his teammates lined up and his eyes consistently worked to the correct read before he delivered accurate throws time after time.

Overall, Jones has the mental processing, accuracy, toughness and enough athleticism to be an above-average-to-good starter at the NFL level, and he can be a contributor early. But he will have to continue to process and deliver accurate throws at an extremely high level, as his limitations make it a narrower path to anything more. 

GRADE: 7.9/10 (Potential NFL starter, 2nd round)

OVERALL RANK: 34/300

POSITION RANK: QB5

PRO COMPARISON: Chad Pennington

Written by B/R NFL Scout Nate Tice