MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA - JANUARY 11: Mac Jones #10 of the Alabama Crimson Tide celebrates defeating the Ohio State Buckeyes 52-24 in the College Football Playoff National Championship game at Hard Rock Stadium on January 11, 2021 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
Given a perfect opportunity to trade up for a quarterback, the New England Patriots surprised a majority of fans when they stayed put at No. 15 overall in the 2021 draft to select Alabama product Mac Jones as their QB of the future.
The knock on Jones coming out of Alabama was that his lackluster athleticism would make it difficult for him to adapt to the ever-evolving NFL, which has seen dual-threat quarterbacks become a popular commodity in recent years.