ESPN analyst Mel Kiper Jr. has the New England Patriots taking a quarterback in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft, but he is also showing support for Mac Jones.
“Mac Jones was dealt a bad hand. Let’s face it. They didn’t help Mac Jones,” said Kiper, when appearing on ESPN’s “First Draft” podcast, via WEEI’s Mike Kadlick. “Mac Jones had– they bring in different coordinators, you’ve got two, you’ve got guys who weren’t even coordinators, you’ve got receivers that have no star power out there, anybody with elite skills, you don’t have an offensive line. Mac Jones can’t– he can’t win behind that. That’s a no-win situation, okay? Because of what he was surrounded by, so I feel bad for Mac.”
The former Alabama signal-caller struggled last season and was permanently benched at the end of November. He finished the 2023 season with 2,120 passing yards, 10 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He threw for 89 yards and two interceptions against the New York Giants in his final game.
The Patriots offense struggled in various areas last year. They ranked 30th in the NFL with 276.2 yards per game. Quarterback play was certainly an issue, but the lack of weapons, particularly at wide receiver, was equally as glaring. Offensive personnel clearly wasn’t a point of strength for New England last year.
The Patriots will have multiple options on the table in the offseason, including continuing on with Jones or using the No. 3 overall pick to hit the reboot button at the quarterback position.
