Mac Jones

Alabama star DeVonta Smith decided to participate in the school's second pro day Tuesday at the request of Mac Jones. 

"Mac just told me, 'Bro, come catch. Come catch,'" Smith told the SEC Network after the pro day (h/t Mike Rodak of AL.com). "And I just eventually just gave in. I'm like, 'All right, I'm gonna go for you, bro.'"

Smith also cited a finger injury he suffered in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game against Ohio State as one of the reasons he chose to do on-field drills.

"Really just sitting down, having a talk with my mentor, seeing what was best for it," Smith said. "People were having questions about my hand, so just showing them the hand is not an issue. It was just out there [whether] my finger was doing good or not. Just to come out here and show them my finger is all right."

Looking at the box score, you'd never have known Smith was injured against the Buckeyes and left the game for good early in the third quarter. The 22-year-old had 215 yards and three touchdowns on 12 receptions in Alabama's 52-24 win on Jan. 11. 

The Crimson Tide held an initial pro day on March 23 in which Smith chose not to participate. The 2020 Heisman Trophy winner told reporters last week that he will do a weigh-in for teams at some point before the draft to give them an official weight, but he also revealed he currently tips the scales at 170 pounds. 

Smith became the first wide receiver to win the Heisman since Desmond Howard in 1991. He led the nation with 117 receptions, 1,856 yards and 23 touchdowns in 13 games last season.

Those in attendance at Tuesday's Alabama pro day got to see Mac Jones and DeVonta Smith connect down the field one last time.

While Smith was originally not scheduled to work out, he hit the field and ran some routes during Jones' throwing session at the Tide's second pro day of the 2021 draft cycle. The Heisman Trophy winner said on SEC Network that Jones convinced him to participate, and his competitive spirit made him want to prove himself in front of scouts:

"Really just sitting down, having a talk with my mentor, seeing what was best. People were having questions about my hand, so showing my hand is not an issue. ... My finger is all right. The competitiveness came out of me. I was getting a little too carried away. But it felt good just to be out there and show everybody."

Jones cited not being able to work with Smith and Jaylen Waddle as a reason he wasn't satisfied with his first pro day performance on March 23. With the likes of Bill Belichick, Kyle Shanahan and several other high-level coaches and decision-makers on hand, Jones looked to solidify himself as a quarterback taken early in the draft.

How Jones ultimately performed will be in the eye of the beholder. There were a couple of throws where Jones flashed the prodigious accuracy he showed during his lone season as Alabama's full-time starting quarterback.

"I love Smitty. Smitty's a total dog. That's the definition of a dog. He freakin' comes out—excuse my language—comes out and works every day," Jones said on SEC Network. 

However, there were some other moments when Jones overthrew his target—including one when Belichick appeared to shake his head afterward.

Jones has seen his name increasingly in the headlines after the San Francisco 49ers traded up for the third pick in next month's draft. Daniel Jeremiah of NFL Network said on The Athletic Football Show that most people around the league believe the 49ers traded up to select Jones. It was telling to some that Shanahan and 49ers general manager John Lynch chose to attend Alabama's pro day rather than one being held by Ohio State on Tuesday. 

It's worth noting that Ohio State will hold a second pro day when Justin Fields is expected to participate, whereas this is the last pro day for Jones.

The Jacksonville Jaguars have been locked in on Trevor Lawrence for months, and it's looking increasingly like a lock that the New York Jets will select BYU's Zach Wilson at No. 2. That will leave the 49ers with a choice between Jones, Fields and Trey Lance in what's shaping up to be one of the most quarterback-heavy top 10s in NFL history.

On the same day that Alabama and Ohio State held their pro days, the San Francisco 49ers are reportedly very high on Mac Jones.  

Per NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah (h/t Matt Barrows of The Athletic), "everything you hear points to" San Francisco taking Jones with the No. 3 overall pick. 

When the 49ers announced their deal with the Miami Dolphins to move up nine spots in the draft, the natural assumption is they are going to take a quarterback. 

Rumblings about San Francisco's interest in Jones have been ongoing since the trade was first reported. ESPN's Adam Schefter noted the Niners "did not trade up with one QB in mind" and are "good with the options that will be there at No. 3."

NBC Sports analyst Chris Simms, who was 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan's teammate at the University of Texas, tweeted that San Francisco traded up "for a QB who is NFL-ready right now, not a project. And to me that says Mac Jones."

Shanahan and general manager John Lynch were both present at Alabama's pro day on Tuesday. Shanahan did tell reporters on Monday that they will also get to watch Justin Fields work out after speaking with the former Ohio State star's agent. 

Jones won the Davey O'Brien Award as the nation's best quarterback in 2020. The Alabama star also set a school record with 4,500 passing yards, led the nation with a 77.4 completion percentage and and finished second with 41 touchdowns to help the team win the national title.

Former Alabama quarterback Mac Jones is expected to go early in the 2021 NFL draft, with team personnel especially high on the prospect, as Ian Rapoport of NFL Network explained:

"Based on the conversations I've had with head coaches and general managers, they really do view him as a 10-year starter in the NFL," Rapoport reported.

Rapoport noted Jones could go in the top 10, and while No. 3 overall could be considered early, it wouldn't be out of the question.

The San Francisco 49ers recently traded up from No. 12 to land the third pick in the first round.

Even if the 49ers don't take Jones, there appears to be plenty of interest that will ensure he goes off the board early in the draft.

The quarterback is coming off a breakout 2020 in which he totaled 4,500 passing yards and 41 touchdowns with just four interceptions. He led Alabama to a perfect 13-0 record and a national championship while finishing third in voting for the Heisman Trophy.

Jones has also earned high praise from Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban, who said teams are going to "fall in love with the guy."

The top of the draft is full of teams that could be targeting a quarterback, either for an immediate need like the Jacksonville Jaguars, New York Jets, Carolina Panthers and Denver Broncos or for a future franchise player like the 49ers, Atlanta Falcons, Detroit Lions and New England Patriots.

That means there could be plenty of potential destinations for Jones.   

A team executive defended Mac Jones as a prospect by comparing the Alabama product to Joe Burrow coming out of college.

"The drawbacks may be thinking he's a one-year guy, and there are the arguments on the talent around him. But nobody made those comments on [Joe] Burrow, right?" the NFC executive told Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated. "I love Burrow, but he had a lot of good players around him."

The same executive also countered doubters regarding the physical skill set, saying, "He has a stronger arm than people think, he's better athlete than people think."

Bleacher Report's NFL Scouting Department rates Jones as the most accurate quarterback in the class but just the fifth-best at the position.

On paper, Jones does have a similar profile to Burrow, who became the No. 1 pick in the 2020 NFL draft.

Both quarterbacks were overlooked as prospects until breakout seasons in which they led their SEC teams to undefeated records and national championships.

Burrow had 18 total passing touchdowns across three seasons with Ohio State and LSU before throwing 60 in his Heisman Trophy-winning campaign in 2019. Jones had 15 in his first two years mostly as a backup before recording 41 for the Crimson Tide in 2020.

Both also had plenty of talent surrounding them, with LSU tying the record with 14 players selected in the 2020 draft. Burrow threw most of his passes to Justin Jefferson, a first-round pick last year, and Ja'Marr Chase, a projected high pick in 2021.

Jones had similarly elite pass-catchers in DeVonta Smith and Jaylen Waddle in 2020, as well as Jerry Jeudy and Henry Ruggs III during the 2019 season.

It's too early to tell if Burrow will be a success in the NFL, but his hype as a prospect could at least remove some questions surrounding Jones.

San Francisco 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch are set to attend Mac Jones' pro day Tuesday after moving up to the No. 3 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft.

Peter King of NBC Sports noted that Shanahan and Lynch are choosing Jones' pro day over the one held by Ohio State's Justin Fields on the same day. 49ers assistant general manager Adam Peters is reportedly set to attend Fields' pro day on behalf of the team.

King wrote signals point to Jones being the "leader" for the No. 3 overall pick.

Alabama is holding two pro days for this draft cycle, with the first coming last week. Jones said he was frustrated with his performance as a passer during the first pro day, which came without receivers DeVonta Smith and Jaylen Waddle.

"It was a little different than a typical pro day script just because of the people we had out there," Jones told SEC Network. "We had to use two underclassmen and obviously Miller, Carl and Josh did a great job. But I feel like I could’ve thrown it better. It is what it is. I have one more pro day, got to come out and show what I got.

Quarterback prospect Mac Jones did his best to boost his stock ahead of the 2021 NFL draft at Alabama's pro day.

Jones threw for scouts Tuesday, displaying his accuracy across the field:

Chase Goodbread of NFL.com provided an assessment of the session:

The signal-caller is coming off an incredible year leading the Crimson Tide to a 13-0 record and a national championship with an offense that averaged 48.5 points per game. Jones finished third in Heisman Trophy voting after totaling 4,500 passing yards with 41 touchdowns and four interceptions.

It could be enough to put him in the first round of the draft, with ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. projecting him to go 15th overall to the New England Patriots.

There are still some question marks as he competes with other top options at his position including Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson, Justin Fields and Trey Lance.

One issue is his athleticism, which he tried to answer with workouts Tuesday:

As Connie Carberg noted, the 40-yard dash time was in line with what Patrick Mahomes and Sam Darnold produced at the NFL combine coming out of college.

Nick Saban also offered high praise for Jones, calling him a "hard worker" and "good leader."

The endorsement could be worth a lot as organizations decide on their future franchise quarterback.

Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reported Jones will also throw about 60 passes next week to provide NFL teams with more chances to see him.

An NFL scout isn't buying the comparisons between Alabama's Mac Jones, one of the top quarterback prospects in the 2021 NFL draft, and future Hall of Famer Tom Brady, who captured his seventh Super Bowl title last month in his first year with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. 

The source told Bob McGinn of The Athletic it's easy to throw Brady's name out there based on raw tools but noted there would be a mad dash to the top of the draft order if teams felt he could replicate the longtime New England Patriots superstar's success.

"How can anyone compare him to Brady? I wouldn't compare anybody to Tom Brady. Ever," the scout said. "How many guys with similar tools failed? If this guy's the next Brady, trade your next seven first-round picks. Give up your head coach. Trade your owner."

Jones appears to have the widest range of potential landing spots among the 2021 class' five standout quarterbacks, a group that also includes Clemson's Trevor Lawrence, BYU's Zach Wilson, Ohio State's Justin Fields and North Dakota State's Trey Lance.

That's mostly because there isn't a consensus about the Alabama star's trajectory at the next level.

His numbers with the Crimson Tide were terrific. He completed 74.3 percent of his throws for 6,126 yards with 56 touchdowns and just seven interceptions in 30 games across three years. He also led Bama to the national championship in his final college campaign.

The 22-year-old Davey O'Brien Award winner was surrounded by a number of offensive playmakers and supported by a defense filled with numerous future NFL starters, so the question is whether he's an annual Pro Bowl talent or just a solid signal-caller helped by ideal surroundings.

One scout told McGinn that Jones could become the "steal of the bunch" but others weren't convinced.

"When I watched him, I said this was A.J. McCarron all over again," a separate scout said. "The offense. The players around him. He's got a slow delivery. He labors in his movements. If he's in rhythm and everything is working for him, he's a machine. I just question everything about his natural talent, his playmaking, his ability to face pressure and make plays."

Another, after seeing Jones as the Senior Bowl, added: "He stood out in a bad way. He didn't look very strong. He didn't look very athletic. He just didn't look like a starter you want in the NFL."

Ultimately, it's hard to ignore a title-winning season with 41 touchdowns and just four picks, and it only takes one team falling in love with Jones' skill set to see him coming off the board inside the top 10.

Trying to predict exactly what type of player he'll be in the NFL is a tricky task, however, but reaching Brady-level success is an extreme long shot for any quarterback in this year's, or any year's, class.