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Patriots

Mac Defeats Zach with Patriots’ Attack

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EAST RUTHERFORD – (Staff and Wire Services Reporting) – New England’s rookie quarterback Mac Jones and the Patriots prevailed in a battle of rookie quarterbacks as New England earned a 25-6 win over New York quarterback Zach Wilson and the Jets on Sunday afternoon. Jones, the No. 15 overall pick by New England in the 2021 draft, completed 22-of-30 passes for 186 yards en route to his first NFL victory. Damien Harris rushed for 62 yards and a touchdown and James White also had a rushing TD for New England (1-1), which bounced back from a season-opening 17-16 home loss to Miami.

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No. 2 overall pick Wilson was intercepted four times and threw for 210 yards on 19-of-33 passing for the Jets. Wilson has thrown five interceptions in his first two NFL games after tossing just a lone interception in the Jets’ 19-14 loss at Carolina last Sunday. New York (0-2) suffered its 11th consecutive loss to New England over a six-year span.

Nick Folk made all four of his field goal attempts for New England, eclipsing Stephen Gostkowski’s franchise record with his 32nd consecutive made field goal from 32 yards on his third of four attempts to make it 22-3 late in the third quarter. His final kick in the closing moments of the fourth quarter, from 26 yards out, made it 33 in a row.

Two plays after Wilson’s fourth pick of the game early in the third quarter, Harris carried four Jets defenders on his back while powering in for a 26-yard touchdown to put the Patriots ahead 19-3.

Patriots Lose to Miami in NFL Opener

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FOXBORO – (Staff and Wire Services Reports) – Miami quarterback Tua Tagovailoa passed for 202 yards and a go-ahead three-yard touchdown to rookie Jaylen Waddle as the Dolphins spoiled New England’s rookie quarterback Mac Jones’ NFL debut with a 17-16 win over the Patriots in the season opener on Sunday afternoon.

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Waddle, the No. 6 overall pick in this year’s draft, grabbed his first career touchdown catch with 10:51 remaining in the third quarter to put Miami on top for good at 17-10. Nick Folk‘s 42-yard field goal with 2:50 left in the third and another from 33 yards out at 10:36 of the fourth pulled New England within 17-16.

Tagovailoa, who also had a rushing touchdown, finished 16-for-27 passing and was also intercepted by New England defensive back Jonathan Jones with 8:07 to play in the fourth. Mac Jones and the Patriots drove 41 yards before running back Damien Harris lost a fumble at the Dolphins’ 11-yard line.

Waddle finished with four catches for 61 yards and the score and DeVante Parker had four catches for a team-high 81 yards for Miami (1-0).

Mac Jones, the No. 15 overall pick in this year’s draft, completed 29 of 39 passes for 281 yards and a touchdown in his pro debut. Harris rushed for 100 yards on 23 carries and Nelson Agholor made five catches for 72 yards and a score for New England (0-1).

Miami and New England were tied 10-10 at halftime.

Tagovailoa capped a 10-play, 80-yard opening drive with a three-yard TD run off the right tackle to put the Dolphins up 7-0 with 5:29 to play in the first quarter. Folk kicked a 27-yard field goal to put the Patriots on the board at 10:17 of the second.

Jones connected with Agholor for his first career touchdown pass with 2:30 left in the half to put New England ahead 10-7. The rookie faked a handoff to Harris before firing a seven-yard strike to Agholor.

Jones and Tagovailoa were teammates at the University of Alabama. Tagovailoa led the Crimson Tide to a national championship in the 2017 season and Jones guided the program to its 18th title last season.

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NFL Releases Preseason Sked

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CANTON – A new normal for the NFL and its preseason will return this summer, beginning with the Hall of Fame Game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Dallas Cowboys in Canton, Ohio, on Aug. 5. The annual Pro Football Hall of Fame Game kicks-off a schedule of three preseason games for each team, down from four in previous seasons. The extra game has been tacked on to the regular season, with each team playing 17 games instead of 16.

In another Week 1 preseason game of interest, fans will get their first glance at the revamped Jaguars, led by new coach Urban Meyer and No. 1 overall draft pick Trevor Lawrence at quarterback, when the Cleveland Browns visit Jacksonville on Aug. 14.

The preseason wraps up Aug. 29.

The Cowboys will be featured in the regular-season opener, as well, when they visit the Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sept. 9.

The 2021 preseason week-by-week schedule, with all times Eastern:

WEEK 1
Thursday, Aug. 5
Pittsburgh and Dallas (Canton, Ohio), 8 p.m.

Thursday, Aug. 12
Washington at New England, 7:30 p.m.
Pittsburgh at Philadelphia, 7:30 p.m.

Friday, Aug. 13
Tennessee at Atlanta, 7 p.m.
Buffalo at Detroit, 7 p.m.
Dallas at Arizona, 10 p.m.

Saturday, Aug. 14
Miami at Chicago, 1 p.m.
Denver at Minnesota, 4 p.m.
New Orleans at Baltimore, 7 p.m.
Cleveland at Jacksonville, 7 p.m.

New York Jets at NY Giants, 7:30 pm

Cincinnati at Tampa Bay, 7:30 p.m.
Houston at Green Bay, 8 p.m.
Kansas City at San Francisco, 8:30 p.m.
Seattle at Las Vegas, 9 p.m.

Los Angeles Chargers at LA Rams, 10 pm

Sunday, Aug. 15
Carolina at Indianapolis, 1 p.m.

WEEK 2
Thursday, Aug. 19
New England at Philadelphia, 7:30 p.m.

Friday, Aug. 20
Kansas City at Arizona, 8 p.m.
Cincinnati at Washington, 8 p.m.

Saturday, Aug. 21
Buffalo at Chicago, 1 p.m.
New York Jets at Green Bay, 4:25 p.m.
Baltimore at Carolina, 7 p.m.
Atlanta at Miami, 7 p.m.
Detroit at Pittsburgh, 7:30 p.m.
Tennessee at Tampa Bay, 7:30 p.m.
Houston at Dallas, 8 p.m.
Indianapolis at Minnesota, 8 p.m.
Las Vegas at Los Angeles Rams, 10 p.m.
Denver at Seattle, 10 p.m.

Sunday, Aug. 22
New York Giants at Cleveland, 1 p.m.
San Francisco at Los Angeles Chargers, 7:30 p.m.

Monday, Aug. 23
Jacksonville at New Orleans, 8 p.m.

WEEK 3
Friday, Aug. 27
Indianapolis at Detroit, 7 p.m.
Pittsburgh at Carolina, 7:30 p.m.
Philadelphia at New York Jets, 7:30 p.m.
Minnesota at Kansas City, 8 p.m.

Saturday, Aug. 28
Green Bay at Buffalo, 1 p.m.
Baltimore at Washington, 6 p.m.
Chicago at Tennessee, 7 p.m.
Tampa Bay at Houston, 8 p.m.
Arizona at New Orleans, 8 p.m.
Los Angeles Rams at Denver, 9:05 p.m.
Los Angeles Chargers at Seattle, 10 p.m.

Sunday, Aug. 29
Jacksonville at Dallas, 1 p.m.
Miami at Cincinnati, 4 p.m.
Las Vegas at San Francisco, 4 p.m.
New England at New York Giants, 6 p.m.
Cleveland at Atlanta, 8 p.m.

NFL: Patriots 2021 Schedule

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FOXBORO – (Courtesy New England Patriots/NFLcom) – The New England Patriots announced their full 2021 season schedule tonight, in a 17-game regular season format for the first time. The slate features three scheduled nationally televised games, including a home Sunday Night Football game against the defending Super Bowl Champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In addition to three primetime games, the Patriots will be featured in the marquee matchup of two games that will air as the second game of a double-header, with kickoffs scheduled at 4:25 p.m. ET.

The AFC was determined to be the home conference for the 17th game in 2021 and the Patriots will host the Dallas Cowboys on Oct. 17 at 4:25 p.m. By hosting the 17th game in 2021, the AFC teams will host nine regular season games and one preseason game, while the NFC will have eight regular season games and two preseason home games.

In addition to hosting Tampa Bay on Sunday Night Football on Oct. 3, the Patriots will be on the road for two other primetime games – a Thursday Night Football game at Atlanta on Nov. 18 and a Monday Night Football game at Buffalo on Dec. 6. The game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium against the Falcons will be New England’s first regular season game at that venue and second appearance overall. New England defeated the Los Angeles Rams Super Bowl LIII in Atlanta. The Patriots will play Buffalo on Monday night for the third straight season and for the second time in three seasons at Buffalo.

New England will square off against six playoff teams from 2020, with games against Buffalo, Cleveland, Indianapolis, New Orleans, Tampa Bay and Tennessee. In addition, the Patriots will play Houston for the seventh straight season despite not being in the same division. That mark is tied for the second-longest streak of games against a non-division opponent for New England. The Patriots faced Indianapolis for 10 straight seasons (2003-12) and Denver for seven straight seasons (2011-17). The only other non-division teams to meet at least seven consecutive seasons since 2002 were Buffalo and Kansas City, who played eight straight seasons from 2008-15.

In addition to playing each AFC East opponent twice, the Patriots will play one game against each AFC South and NFC South clubs. As the third-place finisher in the AFC East in 2020, the Patriots will also play the third-place team of the AFC North (Cleveland) and AFC West (Los Angles Chargers).

New England begins the 2021 season when they host the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, Sept. 12, at 4:25 p.m. It will mark the fifth straight season that the Patriots open at home and the second straight year opening against the Dolphins after a 21-11 win in Week 1 of the 2020 season. It is the first time in team history that the Patriots will open the season in the same location against the same opponent in consecutive years.

Overall, it is the ninth time the Patriots will open the year against Miami and the sixth time they will open at against the Dolphins at home. The Patriots will open the season with two division games, traveling to the Jets in Week 2 on Sept. 19. It is the fourth time since the NFL realigned the divisions in 2002 that the Patriots will open the year with two division opponents (2006, 09, and 13).

The Patriots will return to the confines of Gillette Stadium when they host back-to-back NFC South teams with a 1 p.m. game against New Orleans on Sept. 26, followed by the Sunday night game against the Buccaneers on Oct. 3. The Patriots will then play consecutive games against the Texas teams, traveling to Houston for the third straight season on Oct 10, followed by a home game against Dallas on Oct. 17.

After a home game against the Jets on Oct. 24, the Patriots will have their only back-to-back road contests, traveling to the Los Angeles Chargers on Oct. 31, followed by a road game at Carolina on Nov. 7. In 2020, the Patriots had one set of back-to-back road games and a three-game road trip. Carolina (3-2) and Seattle (3-2) are the only teams that have winning regular season records against the Patriots since 2001.

The Patriots will play at home against the Cleveland Browns on Nov. 14 and will have two primetime games in a three-week stretch with the Thursday game at Atlanta on Nov. 18, a home game against Tennessee on Nov. 28 and a Monday night game at Buffalo on Dec. 6.

Following the Monday game at Buffalo, the Patriots will have their bye week. The Week 14 bye is the latest since a Week 16 bye in 2001.

The date for the Patriots Week 15 game at Indianapolis will be either on Saturday Dec. 18 or Sunday Dec. 19. The date and time of that game will be determined later in the season. After back-to-back home games against Buffalo on Dec. 26 and Jacksonville on Jan. 2, the Patriots will close out the regular season for the 12th straight year against a division foe when they play at Miami on Jan. 9. It will mark the sixth time in team history that the Patriots will open and close the season against the same opponent. It also happened in 2003 and 2013 against Buffalo, 1987 against Miami, 1981 against the Baltimore Colts and in 1974 against Miami.

The 2021 season will mark the first time in team history that the Patriots will finish the regular season with two games in January. Also, it is the first time the Patriots will close out the year on the road since the 2016 season when they finished the regular season on the road against Miami. The Patriots will also end a seven-year streak of closing the regular season with consecutive division opponents.

Complete New England Patriots 2021 schedule:

DATE OPPONENT TIME AFFILIATE NETWORK
Sunday, Sept. 12 Miami Dolphins 4:25 p.m. WBZ CBS
Sunday, Sept. 19 at New York Jets 1:00 p.m. WBZ CBS
Sunday, Sept. 26 New Orleans Saints 1:00 p.m. WFXT FOX
Sunday, Oct. 3 Tampa Bay Buccaneers + 8:20 p.m. NBC/Bos NBC
Sunday, Oct. 10 at Houston Texans 1:00 p.m. WBZ CBS*
Sunday, Oct. 17 Dallas Cowboys 4:25 p.m. WBZ CBS*
Sunday, Oct. 24 New York Jets 1:00 p.m. WBZ CBS*
Sunday, Oct. 31 at Los Angeles Chargers 4:05 p.m. WBZ CBS*
Sunday, Nov. 7 at Carolina Panthers 1:00 p.m. WBZ CBS*
Sunday, Nov. 14 Cleveland Browns 1:00 p.m. WBZ CBS*
Thursday, Nov. 18 at Atlanta Falcons + 8:20 p.m. WFXT FOX /NFL/ AMAZON
Sunday, Nov. 28 Tennessee Titans 1:00 p.m. WBZ CBS*
Monday, Dec. 6 at Buffalo Bills + 8:15 p.m. WCVB ESPN
TBD (Dec. 18 or Dec. 19) at Indianapolis Colts TBD TBD TBD
Sunday, Dec. 26 Buffalo Bills 1:00 p.m. WBZ CBS*
Sunday, Jan. 2 Jacksonville Jaguars 1:00 p.m. WBZ CBS*
Sunday, Jan. 9 at Miami Dolphins 1:00 p.m. WBZ CBS*

*-Game time and network subject to possible flexible scheduling adjustment.

Patriots Open at Home vs Dolphins

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FOXBORO – The NFL trickled out just a few of their 2021 schedule and among the items released were each team’s season opening games. Just as they did a year ago, the New England Patriots will play the Miami Dolphins in Foxboro for each team’s first game of the 2021 NFL regular season.

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Kickoff for the Patriots vs Miami game at Gillette Stadium is scheduled or 4:25 EDT on Sunday, September 12 and will be broadcast by CBS. The game marks the fourth time in the past 10 years that the division rival Patriots-Dolphins will meet in the regular season opener.  A year ago, New England opened their season with a 21-11 victory over Miami at Gillette Stadium.

Lots of “QB Talk” on Day 2 of NFL Draft

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FOXBORO – Ask anyone in Foxboro, Boston, Lexington or Concord and there is no quarterback controversy in New England. At least not yet.

New England Patriots head coach and head of football operations, Bill Belichick, clearly stated that veteran Cam Newton remains his starter — despite the Patriots drafting Alabama’s highly touted QB Mac Jones in the first round on Thursday night, not to mention that Tom Brady’s heir apparent of a year ago, Jarrett Stidham, is still on New England’s QB depth chart.

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The QB talk came as Day 2 of the annual NFL Draft marched on and several other teams drafted to find their future QBs.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected Florida quarterback Kyle Trask, the Minnesota Vikings grabbed Texas A&M quarterback Kellen Mond and the Houston Texans selected Stanford quarterback Davis Mills on Friday night.

Teams made their second- and third-round picks, and they will return to action Saturday to conclude the draft with Rounds 4-7. Trask was taken with the last pick of the second round at No. 64 overall. The former Gators signal-caller will back up Tom Brady after throwing for 4,283 yards, 43 touchdowns and eight interceptions in 2020.

The Vikings grabbed Mond soon after with the second pick of the third round, No. 66 overall. Mond is coming off a stellar senior season in which he passed for 2,282 yards, 19 touchdowns and three interceptions in 10 games with the Aggies.

Mills heads to Houston after serving as a Stanford team captain in 2020. He made only 11 starts in college but impressed scouts with his mobility and prowess at reading the field.

The Jacksonville Jaguars selected Georgia cornerback Tyson Campbell on Friday to begin a busy night of drafting. Campbell, 21, started 24 games in three seasons with Georgia.

Campbell was a five-star recruit out of high school in Florida and ranked as the second-best cornerback in his class behind only Patrick Surtain II, who was chosen in the first round by the Denver Broncos (No. 9 overall) on Thursday night.

The New York Jets followed by taking Ole Miss wide receiver Elijah Moore with the second pick of the second round at No. 34 overall. The Broncos took North Carolina running back Javonte Williams at No. 35, the Miami Dolphins selected Oregon safety Jevon Holland at No. 36, and the Eagles picked Alabama center Landon Dickerson at No. 37.

The New England Patriots maintained their strong pipeline with Alabama when they selected Crimson Tide defensive tackle Christian Barmore with the sixth pick of the second round. Barmore will reunite with college teammate Mac Jones, whom New England drafted at No. 15 overall in the first round.

Florida State cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. had to wait until the middle of the second round until the Los Angeles Chargers selected him at No. 47 overall. Samuel led the Seminoles with three interceptions and served as a team captain in 2020 before opting out after eight games.

Notre Dame pass rusher Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah slid to No. 52, where the Cleveland Browns selected him. Many draft analysts had projected the former Fighting Irish star to be a first-round pick after a season in which he was a first-team All-American, captured Atlantic Coast Conference Defensive Player of the Year honors and won the Butkus Award given to the nation’s top lineup.

 

Patriots Select Mac Jones, Quarterback

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FOXBORO/CLEVELAND – In all the years, in all the NFL Drafts, Bill Belichick, the mastermind behind the New England Patriots entire football operation, never, ever, ever picked a quarterback with his first round draft choice. That streak ended last night in Cleveland when Belichick and the Patriots selected Alabama’s Mac Jones with their No. 1 choice, the 15th overall selection of the 2021 NFL Draft.

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With Cam Newton as his mentor, Jones is likely to play the early part of the 2021 season as back-up and apprentice to Newton, but with the way Belichick values his top pick, the keys to the New England Patriots’ offense will someday – soon – be turned over to Jones in the same manner in which All-Pro, All-Time great Tom Brady once accepted the QB job from Drew Bledsoe.

“This is what I wanted all along,” Jones said on stage at the “in-person” NFL Draft raft in Cleveland. “And I can’t wait to play for the greatest franchise in NFL history.”

Jones, a two-time national title winner with the Crimson Tide, was the fifth quarterback chosen in the top 15 on Thursday. He becomes the 11th player drafted by Belichick who played for Nick Saban in college.

In 13 games last season, Jones threw for 4,500 yards, 41 touchdowns and only four interceptions. Some argue he was a product of a system that thrived with a rugged offensive line and elite playmakers everywhere. He was a backup in 2017 when Alabama also won the title.

He already seems to have a grasp of the “Patriot Way” of playing football.

Saban said last month teams began showing greater interest in Jones late last season and after the national championship game. In conversations with teams, Saban reminds them where Jones started — on the scout team and then behind a slew of talented players, including projected 2021 NFL starters Jalen Hurts (Eagles) and Tua Tagovailoa (Dolphins). And, perhaps most importantly, of Jones’ perseverance to keep working toward getting on the field instead of leaving as a transfer.

“I think that the team that picks me is going to realize they don’t have to worry about me being the first guy in and the last guy out,” Jones said last month. “I’m going to sit and watch as much film as I can and do all the right things. And then obviously the tape speaks for itself.”

Jones joins former Auburn quarterbacks Cam Newton and Jarret Stidham with the Patriots. And he could have a chance to see Tagovailoa head to head twice a year in the AFC East. Newton re-signed with the Patriots after a disappointing 2020 with the team. He went 7-8 in 15 starts and turns 32 next month. Newton completed 65.8 percent of his passes for 2,657 yards, eight touchdowns and 10 interceptions and rushed for 592 yards and 12 scores.

Jones’ Alabama Crimson Tide dominated the 2021 NFL Draft.

The national champion Crimson Tide watched six first-round picks placed up on the draft board on the opening night of the annual college draft. Quarterback Mac Jones, Heisman Trophy winner DeVonta Smith, (Philadelphia Eagles), explosive fellow wide receiver Jaylen Waddle (Miami Dolphins) and running back Najee Harris (Pittsburgh Steelers) lead the wave of Nick Saban‘s former charges expected to be selected among the top 32 picks.

Cornerback Patrick Surtain II, (Denver Broncos), offensive tackle Alex Leatherwood (Las Vegas Raiders) were all first-rounders.

Alabama’s Saban has had 96 players drafted since he became coach at the school, including four first-round picks in 2020. Overall, Saban has produced 35 first-round picks between his time at LSU and Alabama. Tagovailoa was the fifth overall pick in 2020 — one of four Alabama players in the top 15 — and sat early as a Miami rookie while recovering from hip surgery.

Mac Jones: Insider’s Look

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Mac Jones, QB, Alabama – New England Patriots

  • 6-2. 214 lbs
  • 40 time: 4.90
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Often overshadowed by the presence of Jalen Hurts and Tua Tagovailoa on the Alabama roster, Jones finally got his opportunity to shine in 2019 after an injury to Tagovailoa opened the door for starting opportunities.

Jones entered 2020 with a quarterback competition against the highly recruited Bryce Young, but he held onto the starting job. He performed admirably throughout the year while directing Alabama to another national championship and putting his name in the Heisman race.

Despite only having a year and a half as a starter, Jones enters the NFL as a highly decorated passer with a dominant string of performances behind him.

STRENGTHS

  • Jones has a good feel for attacking with accuracy at all three levels of the field, and his ball placement regardless of the distance stands out.
  • Mechanically sound, possessing a good base as a thrower and delivering passes with a clean stroke.
  • Smart with his decisions and won’t force passes if he doesn’t have ideal leverage for the throw.
  • Control over the Alabama offense stands out, and he has a great command over the system.

WEAKNESSES

  • Unable to extend plays much with his legs, and he shouldn’t be trusted to make things happen as a scrambler.
  • Arm is relatively average, and he isn’t able to make a ton of high velocity throws when working off platform.
  • Will need to improve his quickness working through progressions as a pro.

PRO COMPARISON

Can be compared favorably to Jared Goff, Detroit Lions: Goff gets his fair share of criticism for being more of a game manager than a dynamic passer, but he has conducted some well-oiled machines with good accuracy, timing, and decision-making as a pro.

Jones brings a lot of the same traits with his timing and control, and he should be able to drive the bus with enough efficiency to start at the pro level.

 

Jaguars Ready to Rock with Lawrence

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CLEVELAND – The Jacksonville Jaguars made it official last night when the 2021 NFL Draft started to Rock n’ Roll in the City of the Rock Hall of Fame. The Jags selected Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence with the first overall pick of the annual college draft.

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The 6-foot-6 Lawrence is the team’s first choice under new head coach Urban Meyer and immediately is expected to make an impact as a starter.

Lawrence, the Heisman Trophy runner-up went (34-2) as a starter at Clemson and led the Tigers to the national championship as a freshman in 2018. He passed for 10,098 yards, 90 touchdowns with only 17 interceptions. He also ran for 18 touchdowns.

Lawrence was the first of five quarterbacks selected in Round 1. Immediately following his selection at No. 1 overall, the New York Jets – after their dismal 2-14 2020 season – picked BYU QB Zach Wilson with the No. 2 overall choice. The San Francisco 49ers moved up to No. 3 via trade and selected QB Trey Lance of North Dakota State while the Chicago Bears grabbed Ohio State QB Justin Fields at No. 11 overall, four picks before New England closed-out the rush on quarterback selections when they picked Mac Jones of Alabama.

NFL Draft: A Return to Normalcy & Uncertainty

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CLEVELAND – Although it seems like a century ago, it was just a year back when we were welcomed into NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell’s basement man-cave to watch the NFL Draft unfold pick-by-pick. The surreal feeling of disconnection to the normal man-hugs and NFL Draft-niks reaction was lost to the pandemic we were just beginning to understand.

Tonight?

It’ll be like Mardi Gras in Cleveland, if that would ever be a thing.

NFL Draft pundits are predicting a quarterback class like none other. The focus on the more well-known position of QB could shift a more deserved spotlight away from the amazing Alabama Crimson Tide football program when the 2021 NFL Draft begins tonight.

The defending national champion Alabama Crimson Tide Class of 2021 (and their young peers) will challenge the record for first-round picks in a single year. ‘Bama Quarterback Mac Jones, Heisman Trophy winner in WR DeVonta Smith,  his fellow WR Jaylen Waddle and RB Najee Harris lead the talented departing crew of Alabama Coach Nick Saban‘s vast resourced expected to be gobbled-up by NFL player personnel departments from Miami to Seattle.  All will be among the first-rounders.

The Jacksonville Jaguars have the No. 1 overall pick and awaiting for selection are five quarterbacks projected to be selected in the top half of the first round. The Jags seem set on Trevor Lawrence of Clemson, but Zach Wilson (BYU), Alabama’s Jones, Trey Lance (North Dakota State) and Justin Fields (Ohio State) are likely to be part of a record QB haul in Round one.

If the Jaguars select Lawrence first overall, he’ll be the 26th quarterback to go No. 1 since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger. Quarterbacks have gone first each of the past three drafts and Lawrence is listed as a -10000 favorite to go No. 1 and make it four in a row. Only twice in NFL draft history quarterbacks have gone 1-2-3, most recently in 1999 when Tim Couch (Browns), Donovan McNabb (Eagles) and Akili Smith (Bengals) were the top players drafted.

Only one time in draft history (2018), were four quarterbacks selected in the top 10, and never with picks 1-4. The Falcons hold the fourth overall pick and choosing an heir apparent to Matt Ryan is under consideration. That No. 4 overall pick is the crossroad of the 2021 NFL Draft as Atlanta could trade down and gather additional picks by dealing the No. 4 pick to a QB-needy team such as the New England Patriots, Denver Broncos or Chicago Bears.

The Patriots lost Tom Brady and his Super Bowl winning ways to reigning NFL champion Tampa Bay and Brady’s replacement in New England, Cam Newton, didn’t pan-out to be a playoff-bound QB for Bill Belichick and the Pats.

The record for quarterbacks drafted in the first round is six, set in 1983 with a class of John Elway, Jim Kelly, Dan Marino, Todd Blackledge, Tony Eason and Ken O’Brien. Of course, the poor New York Jets came away with O’Brien that year.

Those same J-E-T-S will be selecting at No. 2 this season and they recently dealt their “franchise QB” of the 2018 NFL Draft, Sam Darnold, to the Carolina Panthers who are coming off a QB trade of their own, having dealt Teddy Bridgewater to Denver on April 28.

To say uncertainty is the name of the NFL Draft in 2021 is an understatement for all draft.