Patriots: Could Belichick-Saban connection get Mac Jones to land in New England?

Could Bill Belichick’s relationship with Nick Saban help the Patriots land Mac Jones in the draft?

The New England Patriots’ season has been finished for two weeks now, and the focal talking point among pundits and fans has revolved around who will be under center come training camp.

With reports claiming that the Patriots have already decided to move on from Cam Newton, they have plenty of options to sort through between now and the start of the new league year. Could they dabble in the lackluster free agency market? What about orchestrating a blockbuster trade for a veteran? They could also select one of the top prospects with the No. 15 overall pick.

When it comes to the latter, there’s growing buzz that the Patriots could draft Mac Jones, whether they hang tight with their current selection or trade down in the event they feel pressure that he could be off the board earlier than expected. Taking that into account, it’s worth pondering if Bill Belichick’s relationship with Alabama head coach Nick Saban could be playing a factor in all this.

In his latest column for ESPN, insider Mike Reiss made some salient points about why Jones would be a seamless fit with the Patriots. As evidenced by his four interceptions this season, he takes what the defense gives him and doesn’t force throws.

The 22-year-old also has tremendous pocket awareness, which is immense for somebody who wouldn’t be described as a mobile quarterback. If we know anything about the Patriots, it’s that they champion those intangibles, which include underrated arm strength and pinpoint accuracy.

Then, of course, comes the Saban factor. Having drafted several of his players during his tenure, Belichick has long been an admirer of the Crimson Tide legend, who, if you remember, served as his defensive coordinator from 1991 to 1994 when he was head coach of the Cleveland Browns.

For the season — which was capped off with a national championship — Jones ranked first in the country in completions (311), completion percentage (77.4%), passing yards (4,500), yards per attempt (11.2), and passer rating (203.1), as well as second in passing touchdowns (41).

It just seems like the perfect fit, no? Not only does Jones check all of the boxes from an intangibles standpoint (he’s got the size, too), but he’s also a product of Saban’s esteemed program, which produces elite NFL talent better than any school in the nation.

Seriously, what more could the Patriots want in a quarterback prospect?

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