3 Most Likely Teams to Draft Mac Jones in 2021 NFL Draft

Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Mac Jones lit the college football world on fire this season. He threw for 4,500 yards through 13 games, tossing 41 touchdowns to 4 interceptions while completing a blistering 77.0% of his passes. His 203.1 passer rating is the best single-season mark in the history of the sport, edging out Joe Burrow's 202.0 from 2019.

And now that Jones has likely capped his collegiate career with a national championship, he should be setting his sights on the NFL.

Assuming he declares, here are the most likely landing spots for Jones in the 2021 NFL Draft.

3. Chicago Bears (No. 20)

If Jones is still on the board when the Chicago Bears are on the clock, GM Ryan Pace should rush to the podium. Mitchell Trubisky has proven time and time again that he isn't a franchise guy, but the rest of this roster is ready to win now. Generally believed to be one of the more NFL-ready passers in the draft, picking Jones would allow the Bears to enter a new era while still remaining competitive in 2021.

2. New England Patriots (No. 15)

The New England Patriots are almost certainly moving on from Cam Newton this offseason, and Jones would be a rock-solid replacement. He's a great decision maker who thrives when getting the ball out quick, making him a perfect fit in New England's system. Going from the flat-out loaded Alabama receiving corps to arguably the league's worst pass-catching group would be quite the adjustment for Jones, however. Still, the Patriots could be closer to being competitive than their 7-9 record suggests, as a ton of players opted out of the season in 2020 and should be returning next year. That makes finding an NFL-ready QB a real priority. Plus, Bill Belichick and Nick Saban have a famously great relationship, and you have to think Saban will be singing Jones' praises throughout the offseason. Don't be surprised if Jones is Belichick's next franchise guy.

1. San Francisco 49ers (No. 12)

The San Francisco 49ers still have one of the five most talented rosters in the league, but they're picking in the top 12 because that group was ravaged by injuries. This gives them the unique opportunity to select a new franchise QB and develop him with a Super Bowl-caliber supporting cast. Plus, with QB guru Kyle Shanahan calling the shots, this is probably the best destination for any young passer. And Jones' ability to make quick, accurate throws would be incredibly appealing to Shanahan, whose offense is predicated on eating up yards after the catch. With Jones' superb ball placement, studs like George Kittle, Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel would thrive if the Alabama signal-caller ended up in San Francisco.

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Max Staley is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Max Staley also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username mstaley1212. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.