Patriots: Is Trey Lance a better long-term fit than Mac Jones?

As wise as adding a potential defensive starter with the No. 15 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft could be, the New England Patriots are expected to use that selection on an offensive player.

With Cam Newton likely not the long-term answer at quarterback, the possibility that either North Dakota State’s Trey Lance or Alabama’s Mac Jones ends up in New England remains strong.

While Lance didn’t commit a single turnover during his freshman year with the Bison, Jones completed 76 percent of his passes, all the while leading Alabama to a national championship in his only season as the starter.

With Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson, and Justin Fields all likely to be off of the board by the time New England’s pick, the Patriots’ options will likely be down to the finished product in Jones against the upside of Lance.

If Lance and Jones both end up in New England’s lap, which one of the two would be the best fit for Bill Belichick?

Looking purely at long-term potential, Lance might be the better bet.

Trey Lance could be better for the Patriots than Mac Jones.

Jones led Alabama to a national title game on the back of his gaudy statistics, but there are some concerns about him as a prospect. With so much talent around him on the field and on the coaching staff coupled with the fact he ran a very simplistic offense, Jones’ numbers could easily be a byproduct of his situation.

Jones is much more accurate than Lance right now, and his SEC experience will help him start a bit quicker than the former Bison star, but in terms of who has the higher ceiling, it isn’t even a debate.

Lance has just one year of FCS starting experience, but the number of quarterbacks across all levels with his ability to run the ball, launch it 60 yards on a line down the field, make plays out of structure, and fit the ball into tight windows is very small.

Trey Lance’s dual-threat ability will help him…with Patriots?

Jones looked like a better fit for the offense Josh McDaniels ran when he had the immobile Tom Brady, but last year showed he is willing to uproot everything for a quarterback like Newton that uses his legs.

If he falls to New England, Lance could end up in quite the favorable situation. With a year to learn behind Cam, a plethora of new receivers, an offense that could utilize his legs and arm talent, and quality coaching, Lance could blossom into a star very quickly.

Jones might be the safer prospect and the more likely of the two to be a very effective Week 1 starter. However, Lance is the superior athlete with the better arm, which could help him have a much higher ceiling on the offensive end. If the goal is to find a starter for the next decade, Lance is the guy.

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