When the New England Patriots selected Mac Jones with the no. 15 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, everyone knew that a new era of football was beginning for the franchise. After the one-year experiment with Cam Newton as the starting quarterback didn't exactly work, the Patriots knew they needed to bring in a young face. Following Tom Brady, Jones gives the Patriots hope that they have a long-term answer under center to build around.
In his first season, Jones has been as good as advertised. In fact, he has been much better than many fans and media members were expecting.
In the 10 games he has played thus far, Jones has completed 69 percent of his pass attempts. He has also racked up 2,333 yards through the air to go along with 13 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He has also chipped in with 59 yards on the ground.
Those numbers aren't bad at all for a rookie QB. Patriots coach Bill Belichick seems to have found his new guy moving forward. Jones still has a ton of room to grow and the future looks bright for both the 23-year-old and the franchise as a whole.
How Has Mac Jones Fared Thus Far With The Patriots?
First things first, we'll look at the positives that Jones showed in his first 10 games.
He has showcased the ability to perform well under pressure and with a lot of hype surrounding him. He has not come out with a dud season, unlike the no. 1 overall pick, Trevor Lawrence. Instead, Jones has weathered the storm of a few struggles and has helped lead the Patriots to a solid 6-4 record and they are currently in the AFC playoff picture.
Leadership was something that the Patriots were looking to see from their rookie quarterback. Jones has passed that test with flying colors. His teammates obviously enjoy playing with him and he has not shown any signs of frustration in the moments that he has had struggles.
From an arm perspective, Jones has showcased the ability to make big plays down the field and make accurate short passes. His arm looks like the real deal. That is something that a neophyte signal-caller can show, and once again Jones has passed the test with high grades.
New England has also been playing winning football, which is the final test that a rookie quarterback needs to pass. The Patriots may not be viewed as a top-notch Super Bowl contender, but they are being viewed as a dark horse in the AFC. If they didn't have Jones under center, that may not be the case.
As far as negatives that have been seen from Jones so far, the only thing that could be mentioned would be his seven interceptions. He has also fumbled the ball four times. Cleaning up the turnovers will be a necessity moving forward, but rookies always tend to turn the ball over more than they will after a couple of years of development.
With all of that being said, the Patriots are in great hands with Jones moving forward. That isn't to say that he will be able to replace Brady and get New England back to being a yearly Super Bowl contender. However, he is a much better option than many teams have around the NFL.
What kind of grade does Jones deserve through his first 10 games? We're going to give him an A-. He has won games, performed well, led the Patriots, and simply needs to work on cutting down a few unnecessary turnovers.
Overall, the Patriots have to be feeling very good about what they have seen from Mac Jones and about their future with him. Not bad at all for a 15th overall pick.
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