The New England Patriots own the 15th overall pick in this year's NFL Draft, so they may have to trade up if they hope to snag one of the top quarterbacks in the class.
Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson, Justin Fields, Mac Jones, and Trey Lance are the consensus top-five QBs available and each is projected to go off the board early in the first round. Out of all of the realistic quarterback options for the Patriots, ex-NFL QB Doug Flutie believes Jones would be a natural fit. He even goes as far as to compare the Alabama product to a certain former Patriots signal-caller.
"Mac Jones could potentially still be available, and Mac impresses me as a Tom Brady type of guy that is cerebral and doesn't make mistakes, and is thinking two steps ahead, and can beat you with strictly his arm," Flutie told NBC Sports Boston's Camera Guys. "Mac is a lot more athletic I think than people realize he is. He's able to move and buy a little time and do some other things. He's the type of guy that may be available."
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Boston sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
Flutie tells great story of the time Brady lost his wallet
If the Patriots pass on a quarterback in the first round, there still is a solid chance they'll look to add depth at the position later on in the draft. Flutie could see Bill Belichick eyeing a QB who may be overlooked after a down 2020 season.
"The guy that would be available that I spent a lot of time around was Ian Book up at Notre Dame," Flutie said. "Ian is extremely athletic. Like, he's your point guard in basketball. He played lacrosse. All that kind of stuff.
"He fought with the downfield throws a lot at Notre Dame, but he has plenty of arm to do it. Like, he has that arm strength. ... I think he can throw the deep ball and just for whatever reason the last two years he hasn't been hitting those. So he might be laying in the weeds to be one of those guys."
New England Patriots
Book threw for 3,034 yards, 34 touchdowns, and six interceptions during the 2019 season when he had Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Chase Claypool in his offense. Those numbers regressed to 2,830 yards, 15 touchdowns, and three interceptions last season with Notre Dame.
For more of Flutie's thoughts on the 2021 NFL Draft, the Patriots' QB situation, and some Tom Brady stories from back in the day, watch the full Camera Guys interview below: