Former NFL quarterback and current NBC analyst Chris Simms was about as high on Mac Jones as anyone when he was coming out of Alabama. Much to the chagrin of some, Simms ranked Jones as the No. 3 quarterback prospect in the 2021 NFL Draft, ahead of Justin Fields and Trey Lance.
If anything, Jones' rookie year with the New England Patriots has only made Simms appreciate the 23-year-old that much more.
As he continues his annual preseason quarterback countdown, Simms ranked Jones as the No. 18 quarterback in the NFL ahead of the 2022 season:
"...At no point did we think they [the Patriots] were that great at receiver or explosive at any of those positions to go 'Oh wow, this is a really well-oiled, explosive offense.' Their running game had moments. I mean, come on. Mac Jones as a rookie, they f---ing put everything on him. It was as much pressure as far as a system and a team and a city and a fanbase can be on a quarterback.
"...[He's] maybe the best rookie decision-maker that I've ever seen."
Simms ranked Jones one spot above Carson Wentz, and one spot below Baker Mayfield. Perhaps most notably, he checks in as the top-rated quarterback from the 2021 NFL Draft class, quite a few spots ahead of Lance (No. 31), Trevor Lawrence (No. 24), Fields (No. 23) and Zach Wilson (No. 22).
Among AFC East quarterbacks, Jones tops both the aforementioned Wilson and the always-up-for-debate Tua Tagovailoa, who already appeared on the countdown at No. 29. Josh Allen, of course, will be somewhere in the top five.
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