The N.F.L. draft generates months of needless hype around the selection of college athletes into the pros, turning observers into pseudo-general managers by spring.
Last April, no quarterback prospect seemed to draw the ire of draft followers more than Alabama’s Mac Jones.
His numbers in 2020 were immaculate: He threw 41 touchdowns to only four picks, went 13-0 and won a national title. Yet there was no singular physical trait that signaled what his N.F.L. impact could be. No highlight-reel athleticism. No transcendent improvisation. No throw-it-over-them-thar-mountains arm. At 6-foot-2, 215 pounds, Jones had a Dad Bod, not Trey Lance’s upside, Justin Field’s toughness or Trevor Lawrence’s golden locks.