Mac Jones opened eyes during the first week of organized team activities (OTAs) for the New England Patriots.
Despite him wearing No. 50 at rookie minicamp, Kendrick Bourne (wide receiver) and Hunter Henry (tight end) quickly noticed the confidence and leadership Jones has. Bourne said the former Alabama quarterback has a ‘swag’ that he did not know Jones possessed. As the 15th overall pick of the NFL Draft, Jones is starting to gain attention from reporters who got their first look at him last week. According to Mike Giardi of NFL Network, he said Jones ‘competitive edge’ immediately stood out on Thursday.
On our first look at Mac. #Patriots pic.twitter.com/v9du4IkxYp
— Michael Giardi (@MikeGiardi) May 27, 2021
“When he made a play he did not like, he slapped his thigh really hard,” Giardi said. “I’m thinking to myself ‘that’s going to leave a mark. That’s going to leave a bruise,’ but that just tells you the perfection he is aiming for. He spent a lot of time talking with Brian Hoyer off to the side while they were watching other quarterbacks go at it, but when he was in there, the ball comes out of his hand quickly, decisively, and accurately. At least for today, he threw the best ball of anybody in camp.”
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Giardi mentioned he does not want to make a big deal out of 7-on-7 or 11-on-11 drills with no contact; however, he sees the characteristics of Jones that made him a national champion at Alabama. A native of Jacksonville, Fla., the 2020 Heisman Trophy finalist is the first signal-caller Bill Belichick has drafted in the first round for the Patriots. He won six Super Bowls with a sixth-round pick in Tom Brady, but Jones has the capability to provide the same level of success.
He has to beat out Cam Newton in training camp to win the job, and it will be interesting to see what happens. Jones is turning heads so far and this is good.
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Stephen M. Smith is the managing editor and senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith.
