Trever Lawrence and Justin Fields were the #1 and #2 quarterbacks in the country coming out of HS. That same order pretty much existed all through college UNTIL we got to the weird season of the NFL draft and people started stretching themselves to find things to knock Fields down a bit.
Where was Mac Jones? Pretty much unheard of except to true football junkies. Pretty much unheralded out of HS, in college he rode the bench and when he finally got a chance to play many said he was a “system quarterback” who would be a Day 2 pick at best.
After the college championship game and start of the weird draft season, he rose like a rocket. I think a guy like that has a huge chance of being a bust.
Jones has limited athletic ability, has a fairly good arm - not great... was always protected (clean pocket for the most part) behind an NFL line and was throwing to 1st round NFL draft picks with miles of separation. The bust potential is huge for him.
That said, I think Jones is going to the perfect place for him. The Patriots will build an offense around him and he should be solid. I just don’t see him ever being “great” though. He needs EVERYTHING working at peak efficiency around him in order to excel — think Nick Foles with possibly a little better accuracy.
Fields represents the new breed of successful QB’s in the NFL — QB’s that can excel even when things break down around him. Fields has the ability to be GREAT! — an all-time great — Hall of Fame type. He has that kind of ceiling. Will he hit it?? Time will tell. Watch tape on his duel with Trever Lawrence in the championship round of college football — pinpoint accuracy ALL DAY — short, intermediate, long bombs - he did all - he destroyed Lawrence & Clemson.
Knowing the Bears and the fact that we all know they cannot put together an offense that works at peak efficiency in all areas... Fields had to be the pick.
This was a no-brainer. I love the pick!