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M
ac Jones had arguably the best rookie season of any quarterback from the 2021 NFL Draft class but one NFL analyst believes that the New England Patriots QB is one of the worst in the AFC.
In the 2021 season, Jones threw 22 touchdowns which was the most of any rookie quarterback. He also led the Patriots to 10 wins which were the most of any rookie QB in franchise history.
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But heading into the 2022 season, one NFL analyst believes that Jones is among the worst at his position in the entire AFC. On Tuesday’s episode of FS1’s “First Things First,” Nick Wright stated that his list of quarterbacks who are better than Jones in the AFC is quite long.
“I was going to do a list of AFC QBs that are better than Mac Jones. It’s too long. What are the AFC QBs that Mac Jones is clearly better than? Tua, Trubisky & Davis Mills. And I’m iffy on Mills.” — @getnickwright
“If you look at the AFC this year, I was going to do a list of quarterbacks that are better than Mac Jones. It’s too long,” Wright said. “What are the AFC quarterbacks that anyone can say with any level of confidence Mac Jones is better than? I came up with two and a half: Tua (Tagovailoa), Mitch Trubisky and, even though it pains me because I do love this man’s neck, Davis Mills. There are three out of 16 quarterbacks in the conference that I am convinced Mac Jones is better than, and I’m iffy on Mills.
“And it’s, ‘Oh, that’s disrespectful.’ He’s clearly better than who? Ryan Tannehill? Matt Ryan? I don’t think he’s better than (Zach) Wilson or Trevor Lawrence. I guess we’ll see. But I came up with three.”
What Changed Since Last Season?
Not a lot has changed in regards to the Patriots offense since the end of last season. There have really been only two major changes.
First, New England acquired DeVante Parker via a trade with the Miami Dolphins. Parker is likely to slot in as the Patriots top receiver as he is now the only wide receiver on the roster to ever eclipse 1,000 yards in the NFL.
Parker joins an already impressive group with the likes of Kendrick Bourne and Jakobi Meyers. The two were the leading wide receivers for New England in 2021 and will look to continue to perform at a high level in 2022.
The Patriots also drafted Tyquan Thornton in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft. Thronton has blistering speed running a 4.28-second 40-yard-dash at the Scouting Combine.
New England also had some changes on the sidelines with Josh McDaniels leaving the Patriots sidelines to become head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders. So while there have been some changes, Jones appears to be in a better situation than he was in his rookie season.
How is Mac Jones Looking?
At OTA’s Jones is getting rave reviews. The quarterback has slimmed down and is also putting in the work off the field. He is more involved with telling coaches what plays work and what doesn’t and his dedication during the offseason has fans excited for this season.
So this could be another take that Wright ends up walking back with the quarterback poised to be one of the better quarterbacks in the AFC.