Before Drake Maye entered the fold this past season, the Patriots had a quarterback carousel that followed Tom Brady. First, it was Cam Newton, who, despite looking elite for the first few weeks, transformed into a dismal thrower of the football in the latter half of the year. In 2022, Bailey Zappe arrived, showing some ability early on, but later proved to be nothing more than a flash in the pan.
Most notably, Zappe beat out 2021 15th pick Mac Jones, who had a very good rookie year, but then had an ugly fall from grace.
Bleacher Report's Matt Holder has given the 2021 class some time, four years to be exact, to prove their worth in the NFL, but none of the first-round picks have panned out as expected. Currently, just two of the five are starting, and the careers of Trevor Lawrence and Justin Fields don't have much to boast about as a whole.
The Patriots' desperation for a QB after Brady was apparent. Originally, Jarrett Stidham was thought to be the top option, and after a quarterback-less draft, it seemed that would be the case. Cam Newton was signed in June and took the reins for all but one game.
The Patriots' decision to draft Mac Jones was understandable, but a desperate move by Bill Belichick
When the team opted for Mac Jones, the move was understood, but didn't come without some disappointment. It was a consensus that Trevor Lawrence and Zach Wilson would be the first two picks, but some believed Jones might be selected third by the 49ers. When they opted for Trey Lance, only Fields and Jones remained, and the Bears moved up to No. 11 from the 20th pick to select the Ohio State Buckeye. Jones was the fifth and final quarterback chosen in the first round.
Jones had a career at Alabama that is often overlooked, but his college numbers suggest the fifteenth spot would be more fitting. He finished with the most completions (311), passing yards (4,500), and highest completion percentage (77.4%) of anyone at the FBS level. A 41-4 TD-INT ratio in his lone year starting, and a 56-7 ratio during his time at Alabama, Jones put up ridiculous numbers.
In the National Championship against Fields and Ohio State, Jones and Alabama ravaged them, scoring 52 points and winning by four touchdowns. Mac finished 36/45 with 464 yards and five touchdowns.
As with most quarterbacks for big-time schools, the knock on Jones was his supporting cast. Heisman winner DeVonta Smith, Jaylen Waddle, and John Metchie made up his receiving core, and his backfield featured starting running backs Najee Harris and Brian Robinson. His athleticism score was middling according to Next Gen, 11th in the class. Not a shock, but could certainly be overlooked given the talent he showed.
The physical tools needed to be a successful quarterback in New England were lacking with Mac Jones
Jones's physical tools weren't stellar, but he made up for that in college with his accuracy and high IQ. 6'3", 217 pounds coming out of the draft, his stature wasn't an issue, but he couldn't put the zip on the ball the way a Josh Allen could. After a sheltered rookie season, Jones still put up some solid numbers and finished second in Offensive Rookie of the Year voting.
In 2022, Jones hoped to build off his rookie year. New offensive coordinator Matt Patricia, who hadn't worked with the offensive side of the ball since his time with Syracuse University in 2004, was named Josh McDaniels's successor after he departed for the Raiders. The duo didn't mesh, and the Patriots missed the playoffs with an 8-9 record, scoring 30+ points only once all season.
The trouble is, Jones wasn't even the one to score 30+. Bailey Zappe, an afterthought taken in the fourth round, scored 38 against the lowly Browns, led by former and future Patriot Jacoby Brissett.
A class thought to be one of the best of them all panned out to little in the NFL. Zach Wilson is now in Miami as a backup after backing up Aaron Rodgers for four snaps with the Jets and Bo Nix last year in Denver. Trey Lance was traded to the Cowboys after Brock Purdy's ascension, who Jones now backs up after he spent last season backing up Trevor Lawrence in Jacksonville. He would play following Lawrence's injury, with a 2-5 record as a starter and an 8-8 TD-INT ratio.
Jacksonville paid Lawrence $275 million, and while he is the best of the bunch, his play hasn't been great. He led the Jaguars to the playoffs once in his second season, in which he came 7th in MVP voting and made an improbable 27-point comeback in the first round of the playoffs against the Chargers.
They lost their next game to the Chiefs. As a whole, he's 22-38 as a starter and has never had a season with double-digit wins. As far as starters go, he ranks somewhere in the 15-20 mark, certainly better than the other options in 2021, but not worth $275 million.
Fields will have another shot at starting with the Jets in 2025 after starting six games with the Steelers last season, finishing 4-2. He has shown tremendous rushing ability, but his accuracy and decision-making within the structure of the play have come into question at times. With college teammate Garrett Wilson, running back Breece Hall, and rookie tight end Mason Taylor, and behind a rejuvenated offensive line, Fields has every opportunity to perform.
While the Patriots may not have gotten what they wanted out of the 2021 draft, they also didn't miss on any of the QBs - their only choice was Jones at 15, and the others haven't wowed. Their desperation for a Brady successor after a 7-9 Cam Newton-led team bottomed out in the second half of the season was evident, and Jones's accuracy and college resume put them on notice.
While it may not have worked out, it was worth a shot, and now the team has the chance to move forward with a new #10 in Drake Maye.