Grabbing Mac Jones at No. 15 overall in last year’s draft is increasingly looking like a steal for the New England Patriots.
That’s not just because Jones outperformed all of his rookie quarterback counterparts in 2021 and helped lead New England to the playoffs (though that certainly doesn’t hurt).
It’s also because they got Jones while the quarterback getting was still good.
ESPN NFL Draft expert Mel Kiper told reporters on a conference call Thursday that Jones, who made the NFL’s All-Rookie Team last season, would have gone higher in 2022 than he did last year.