Mac Jones tumbled a dozen picks after the San Francisco 49ers bypassed him with the third pick Thursday in the 2021 NFL Draft – right into the laps of Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots.
The Alabama quarterback was the fifth player at his position selected in the first round, landing in Foxborough as the potential long-term replacement for Tom Brady.
The Pats re-signed Brady’s first-year replacement, Cam Newton, in March after finishing 7-9 and missing the playoffs last season for the first time since 2008.
Jones redshirted as a freshman at Alabama and replaced Tua Tagovailoa as a sophomore when the now-Dolphins QB suffered multiple injuries. Jones won 17 of 18 starts for the Crimson Tide, leading his team to an undefeated season and a national championship in 2020.