Patriots: Boomer Esiason already thinks Mac Jones would go first overall in redraft

While Trevor Lawrence and Zach Wilson were picked with the first two selections of the 2021 NFL Draft by the Jacksonville Jaguars and New York Jets, respectively, it’s been New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones that has gotten off to the best start out of all of these rookies.

While Lawrence had made some extremely impressive throws, he’s turned the ball over plenty on a Jaguars team that’s starved of NFL talent outside of the No. 1 pick.

Wilson was beaten up by Belichick’s defense, as his issues with pressure up the middle from college continue to persist in the NFL.

Jones, on the other hand, has completed just under 74% of his passes while avoiding the turnovers that Wilson and Lawrence need to overcome. His performances in a loss against Miami and win against New York were so impressive that former NFL quarterback and CBS analyst Boomer Esiason believes he has surpassed Wilson and Lawrence.

Esiason said that if a re-draft was held today, Jones would be the No. 1 selection.

While two games are not enough to make a judgment on how any of these careers will turn out, Patriots fans should be very pleased with Jones’ play and the praise he’s already receiving.

Boomer Esiason has high praise for Patriots QB Mac Jones.

It’s fair to say that the Patriots aren’t asking Jones to do a ton with his arm. Damien Harris and the ground game hve been strong, and only three of his 30 passes against the Jets traveled more than 15 yards down the field. Still, he’s executing the game plan created by the coaching staff.

All Jones needs to do to be successful is manage, avoid turnovers, and get the ball in the hands of playmakers like Nelson Agholor and Jonnu Smith. That strategy has helped the Patriots come within a late fumble from being 2-0 with wins against a pair of divisional rivals.

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The Patriots will have a tougher schedule coming up. They will face a stout Saints defense before welcoming the defining-champion Buccaneers to New England. Perhaps those two matchups can really fortify Jones’ case as the best rookie in this QB class.

While the former Alabama star came into the league with questions, his ability to limit turnovers and deliver the ball accurately down the field has translated over from his college day. With Jones avoiding some of the same pitfalls that Wilson has stumbled upon in during his first few games, he’s building a very strong foundation for the future … and has spurred many positive overreactions.

Patriots: 3 Mac Jones plays that show fans shouldn’t be worried about rookie QB

These three throws against a very tough defense show that even though Mac Jones was unable to pull out the win, the Patriots should be impressed.