As usual, Bill Belichick is doing his due diligence, looking at prospects ahead of the NFL Draft. On Monday, he was in Florida for the Miami Hurricanes Pro Day. On Tuesday, he was in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, to visit with his friend Nick Saban and watch QB prospect Mac Jones’s second throwing exhibition.
There was one particular overthrow that seemed to draw a funny response from Belichick. NFL on CBS posted this via NFL Brasil.
Perhaps Belichick was caught reacting to something different. If that’s true, this was a perfectly timed coincidence.
Jones would have another poorly placed ball that BrianCatNFL had some fun with as he observed the reaction of San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan:
While Jones hit on some excellent throws to Heisman trophy winner DeVonta Smith, his performance was blown away by Ohio State’s Justin Fields, who put on a show of his own in Columbus.
Twitter Reacts to Comparisons of Justin Fields and Mac Jones
Some suggest the 49ers’ recent move up the draft board to No. 3 was to put them into a position to draft Jones at that spot.
Based on what we saw from Fields at his Pro Day on Tuesday, Shanahan may need to adjust his thinking if that were the case.
Fields didn’t just run a blazing 4.44 40-yard dash, which was even faster than most expected to see him run; he also uncorked these kinds of throws that prove he has the sort of high-end arm talent that doesn’t come along often.
When you consider the difference in athleticism, Fields’ intangibles, and the fact that he didn’t have the supporting cast on offense that Jones had at Alabama, it isn’t easy to imagine anyone elevating the latter over the Buckeyes star.
Many took to Twitter to echo these thoughts and to share superlatives on Fields’ Pro Day.
Michael Smith called Fields “the most disrespected projected Top 5, Top 10 pick in recent draft history.”
Former NFL wide receiver Torrey Smith reminded anyone who might have forgotten, Fields has always been a better prospect than Jones.
Fields to the Patriots Would Be a Dream
The Patriots have seemingly committed to Cam Newton as their starting quarterback, barring some training camp collapse that sees him give way to Jarrett Stidham. That said, the Patriots still need to find a QB of the future.
Fields’ stock is on the rise, so it remains to be seen how high New England would have to climb to get in a position to draft the Ohio State star. However, if the Patriots can trade up to No. 5, where the Cincinnati Bengals are currently slotted, they might have a shot if a team likes Jones or North Dakota State’s Trey Lance over Fields.
Newton would be the perfect mentor for Fields because he’s already played that role for him. Fields was a member of Newton’s 7-on-7 team when he was in high school, and the 2015 NFL MVP proclaimed his young protege the best high school football player in the country.
With similar styles and history to build on, the Patriots couldn’t dream of constructing a more cohesive QB room.
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Bill Belichick Didn’t Like What He Saw at QB Prospect’s Pro Day