Getty Right: San Francisco 49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo. Left: Atlanta Falcons QB Matt Ryan.
Alabama quarterback Mac Jones has been the talk of the town this week and former NFL GM turned analyst, Mike Tannenbaum, thinks extremely high of the Roll Tide product.
In fact, he most recently said Jones was a “cross between Jimmy Garoppolo and Matt Ryan.”
Tannenbaum was asked who his “Justin Herbert” of this draft class was.
“University of Alabama’s Mac Jones,” Tannenbaum said on ESPN’s “Get Up!. “This guy is a cross between Jimmy Garoppolo and Matt Ryan. He’s more athletic than people realize, he’s accurate, he’s a winner, he’s gonna go a lot earlier than people realize, and he’s gonna be a frontline starter in the NFL.”
Herbert was a favorite of Tannenbaums last draft season and he ended up being fairly accurate about him.
Mac Jones’ Scouting Report
Alabama threw Jones into a starting role once Tua Tagovailoa was sidelined with a hip injury in 2019. During that season, Jones completed 69 percent of his passes that season for 1,503 yards, 14 touchdowns, and three interceptions.
He stepped his game up in 2020 as an elite starter, completing 77 percent of his passes for 4,500 yards, 41 touchdowns, and four interceptions on top of a National Championship ring for the Crimson Tide.
Tannebaum likely came up with the Jones comparison to Ryan and Jimmy G. due to his lack of rushing but ability to make plays in the pocket.
“Jones is largely a confident, calm, poised, and efficient pocket passer,” Charlie Campbell of Walter Football explains. “He stands tall in the pocket and consistently distributes the ball. Jones shows good timing and precision to hit his receivers through windows in coverage while leading them to produce more yards after the catch. His calm and poised approach lends to him showing field vision in the pocket, where he will move his eyes and work off his primary read. Jones is a smart quarterback and plays the game with real intelligence. As a pro, Jones would fit best in a west coast offense.”
For a QB—it’ll always be better to have a fast mind than fast feet. @MacJones_10 may not be “fast” but he plays that way…
ALL the latest 49ers news straight to your inbox! Join the Heavy on 49ers newsletter here!
49ers Reportedly Scouted Jones & Falcons Linked to Jones
According to Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller, the 49ers took a look at Mac Jones during the season.
“Rumors around the scouting community indicate the San Francisco 49ers are investing serious time and resources into scouting signal-callers,” Miller wrote back in November. “One area scout told me the team has sent top evaluator Adam Peters to see BYU’s Zach Wilson and Alabama’s Mac Jones this season.”
The 49ers are clearly not sold on Jimmy Garoppolo being a starter next season but it might not be smart to throw a rookie in the system. However, they could draft a QB to sit behind Garoppolo for the season.
As for the Falcons, they have been linked to Mac Jones but that won’t happen. Matt Ryan will be the starter next season and the Falcons have the No. 4 pick, so there will be plenty of other talent ahead of Jones to choose from. But, Jones should still be on the board when the Niners pick at No. 12 overall.
READ NEXT: Falcons ‘in Trouble’ With Salary Cap Change: Report