FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- After months of speculation on the New England Patriots possibly making a bold move up the 2021 NFL draft board for their quarterback of the future, coach Bill Belichick played it cool and let the draft come to him.
Then Alabama's Mac Jones dropped right into his lap.
It's one of the rare times when months of projection leading into a Belichick draft actually produced an accurate result. Jones was talked about as a Patriots possibility all the way back in January.
Back then, ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay noted how Jones was "super intelligent" with "pocket presence" and someone who "feels things, anticipates, and gets the ball out.