Alabama QB Mac Jones Meets With Patriots, But Senior Bowl Status In Doubt After Ankle Injury
BOSTON (CBS) -- The Patriots brass met with Mac Jones at the Senior Bowl this week, and the Alabama quarterback spoke glowingly about his chat with the team on Thursday.
Jones is expected to be drafted somewhere in the middle of the first round in April's NFL Draft, and with the Patriots owning the No. 15 overall pick, it's no surprise that they're showing interest in the Crimson Tide quarterback. New England head coach Bill Belichick isn't in Alabama for the Senior Bowl, according to reports, but Jones was impressed with his meeting with New England's representatives.
"We just had a good conversation," Jones told reporters on Thursday. "We talked and they got to know me really well. I really liked their table. It's kind of fun to see how different tables, they act a little different but the Patriots were really cool and asked some really good questions."
Jones looked good during his work on Wednesday, though he may not play in Saturday's Senior Bowl after tweaking his ankle during a red zone drill on Thursday. But teams got a good look at what Jones has to offer over his three wildly successful seasons with the Crimson Tide.
Jones led the Crimson Tide to a National Championship last season, throwing 41 touchdowns and just four interceptions while completing a ridiculous 77.4 percent of his passes over 13 games. Overall, he was 28-2 as Alabama's starter.
Those numbers may be inflated a bit given Alabama's dearth of talent around him, but if Alabama head coach Nick Saban is sold on Jones succeeding at the next level, that's likely all Belichick will need to hear to be convinced on the young passer.
New England also met with Wake Forest/Georgia quarterback Jamie Newman this week, who is considered a mid-round pick in the upcoming draft. Newman transferred to Georgia for the 2020 season but never threw a pass for the Bulldogs after deciding to opt out of the season. He threw 35 touchdowns and 16 interceptions, completing 60.5 percent of his passes, in 19 games for the Demon Deacons over three seasons.
