NBC Sports’ Chris Simms is no stranger to going against the grain when it comes to how he evaluates quarterbacks, and on Monday he shared some analysis that falls right in line with his prior assessments.
He shared a post on Twitter making a case for Alabama quarterback Mac Jones’ physical traits, which have been listed as one of his weaknesses heading into the 2021 NFL Draft. Many other scouts have questioned his mobility and escapability out of the pocket, but Simms made the argument that he doesn’t need to scramble 40 yards downfield in order to be deemed to have good physical gifts.
But Simms went on to make a statement that will make many more headlines.
He claimed that Jones is a more consistent passer than Clemson quarterback and presumed number one overall pick, Trevor Lawrence.
Just because he's not an escape artist, don't say Mac Jones doesn't have elite physical traits. He has unbelievable feet and a tremendous arm. And on top of it, he's a more consistent thrower than Trevor Lawrence.
— Chris Simms (@CSimmsQB) March 8, 2021
Since the conclusion of the 2020 season and as the draft approaches, there hasn’t been a ton of push back on Lawrence as a prospect, especially from a passing standpoint.
With many heralding him as the best quarterback prospect since Andrew Luck, the brunt of the dissection has been cast upon the other quarterbacks ranked below him.
But the numbers are there to back up Simm’s claim. In 2020 Jones completed 77% of his passes compared to Lawrence completing 69% while playing in two fewer games than the Crimson Tide quarterback.
Jones also accompanied this stellar feat with an average completion which went for 11 yards with Lawrence’s completing for an average gain of 9.
To be clear, each quarterback’s numbers are spectacular and deserving of praise but there are aspects of every quarterback ready to be selected in the upcoming draft which may make each team think about its decision a little bit longer.
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Patrick Dowd is a Reporter for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can follow him on Twitter, via Pat_Dowd77
