Patriots: 3 players Mac Jones is outperforming who were picked ahead of him

2. Jaylen Waddle, WR, Miami Dolphins

Waddle has been getting fed a steady diet of receptions early in his career, but he’s mostly been used for his ability to create after the catch. He has totaled 17 catches in the last three games, but he has just 122 yards to show for it. Considering how he was used when Jones was at Alabama, this is a sharp change.

Waddle was a deep threat that could sprint down the field and turn the game into a track meet, routinely ending up on the receiving end of Jones’ downfield passes. In Miami, they’re trying to turn their No. 6 pick, who isn’t playing as well as his former teammate and No. 10 pick Smith, into Tavon Austin.

Jaylen Waddle has been more volatile than Patriots QB Mac Jones.

The Patriots didn’t try to plug a square peg in a round hole and run the Cam Newton offense or the Tom Brady scheme. They found that Jones can get the ball out quickly and accurately, and they’re using that to their advantage by turning this offense into a West Coast attack that gets the ball out of his hands fast.

Miami, meanwhile, isn’t tailoring their offense to use the No. 6 pick in the best way possible, and that’s an issue considering that he was supposed to be the big piece that turned this offense around.

Drafting Jones after selecting Tua Tagovailoa obviously was not going to happen, but through the first few weeks, the old Crimson Tide gunslinger is adapting to the pros better than his old wide receiver.