Eagles and the Quarterback Market: Mac Jones

The Alabama QB goes under the microscope in our second profile of passers that could interest the Eagles in the first round or beyond after trading Carson Wentz

In order to keep up with the Jones’, perhaps it’s best to go find a Jones, and maybe the Eagles will do that in this spring’s NFL draft.

Mac Jones is the quarterback whose name usually comes up after some of the perceived top ones are mentioned, as in Trevor Lawrence, Zack Wilson, Justin Fields, Trey Lance and, finally, Jones.

The Alabama quarterback is rising up draft boards, and one of the many mocks floating around has Jones going to the Atlanta Falcons with the fourth overall pick.

With the Eagles having moved on from Carson Wentz, leaving Jalen Hurts as the lone quarterback on the roster, the team could be in the market for a passer with the sixth overall pick or perhaps in the later rounds.

The Eagles have two third-round selections within 14 picks of each other after acquiring the Colts’ 84th overall pick to go with their 70th overall choice. That would seem a good landing spot for a QB if the Eagles don’t go with one in the first round.

If the Eagles go Jones in the first round, he would be the second Jones to line up behind center in the NFC East, joining the New York Giants Daniel Jones.

Either way, it will be a spring of quarterback debate in Philadelphia, and we will occasionally profile one of the many signal-callers that will be available in the draft, from the first round and beyond.

READ MORE: Eagles and the Quarterback Market: Justin Fields - Sports ...

This is the second installment and will focus on:

MAC JONES

Size: 6-2, 217

Strengths: Former NFL and Notre Dame head coach Charlie Weis told ESPN.com that he believes Jones is the best quarterback in the draft.

“What are the two most important components of a star quarterback?” Weis told Mike Reiss. “They have the ‘it’ factor. And they’re accurate. That’s who he was.

“You talk about being around good players, yeah, he was around good players. But playing on a team with a bunch of stars, who is the leader of the offense? He also had to make all those throws. I think the kid is an excellent quarterback. He has less holes than just about anybody.”

In his one season as a full-time starter, after taking over when Tua Tagovailoa left for the draft, Jones completed 77.4 percent of his passes for 4,500 yards, 41 touchdowns, and four interceptions.

An injury prevented him from playing in the Senior Bowl but he participated in practices and many scouts believed he was the best QB in Mobile that week.

Weakness: He lacks the sort of mobility that seems to be getting more and more prioritized in the NFL these days, so the thinking is he would need a good offensive line to have success. 

Jones has pocket awareness, yes, and can move around inside a pocket, but his inability to pick up yards with his legs stands out. He had just 14 yards on 35 attempts in 2020 and, in 30 games with the Tide, had just 42 yards.

Pro day: March 23.

Jones will be one of at least a dozen working out that day, including WRs Devonta Smith and Jaylen Waddle, RB Najee Harris, and offensive linemen Alex Leatherwood (LT), Deonte Brown (LG), and Landon Dickerson (C), DT Christian Barmore, CB Patrick Surtain, and LB Dylan Moses.

Too bad the Eagles can’t take all of them.

Notes: The Eagles haven’t drafted a player from Alabama since WR Freddie Milons in the fifth round of the 2002 draft…Gotta love the name Mac Jones because it sounds sort of like a singer/songwriter.

Ed Kracz is the publisher of SI.com’s EagleMaven. Check out the latest Eagles news at www.SI.com/NFL/Eagles and please follow him on Twitter: @kracze.