New England Patriots

Mac Jones' stature comes into question after first week of Patriots OTAs

Published May. 29, 2021 1:11 p.m. ET

A little bit of conflict was brewed up in New England this week.

No, it wasn't due to Mac Jones oddly wearing No. 50 during his first week of OTAs (isn't that like a linebacker's number?).

It was due to some contradicting reports regarding how he looked during his first days on the field.

Jones will be one of many centers of attention in the NFL this season for a number of reasons. He is the latest Alabama quarterback to enter the big leagues and he's doing it off of a national championship performance in which he completed 36 of 45 passes for 464 yards and five touchdowns.

Jones' name soon became bigger than that game, as rumors persisted throughout the offseason that the San Francisco 49ers would take Jones with the third pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.

And even though the Niners ended up going with North Dakota State standout QB Trey Lance at No. 3, Jones still went in the first round, when Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots selected him at No. 15, as they presumably begin their quest to find Tom Brady's long-term successor.

See why there is so much to talk about when it comes to Jones?

Even though Jones isn't expected to start in Week 1 – that job still belongs to Cam Newton – it's possible that he could see the field at some point in the season, even though Belichick remained coy about that this week.

So all eyes were on Jones this past week when the Patriots began OTAs, and over the course of Thursday and Friday, the takes about his performance were both similar and separate.

NBCS Boston reporter Phil Perry seemed to be impressed by Jones, saying that the Alabama product was exactly what he expected him to be.

Jones also seemed to impress a few teammates.

However, Perry's cohort for NBCS Boston, longtime reporter Tom E. Curran, noticed a little more than Jones' accuracy when finally getting a chance to see him on the field.

Now, Curran's observation could just be a result of Newton being a mammoth of a man, as he stands at 6-foot-5, 245 pounds. But backup QB Jarrett Stidham isn't on the same size page as Newton and is listed at 6-foot-3, 215 pounds.

And Jones is supposedly 6-foot-3, 215 pounds, which makes Curran's observation all the more interesting.

In addition, it appears that Jones spent most of the day standing next to Newton, which could have further exacerbated the size difference that Curran spoke of.

Curran elaborated on what he thought about Jones' size on Thursday and didn't mince words in the process.

"He was a little smaller than I expected. Just a little bit taller measured is Jarrett Stidham, but it looked like Stidham was either wearing a giant, thick helmet, or had huge cleats on, because little Mac looked like a ‘Little Mac,' not a ‘Big Mac.’ And he also needs some filling out up at the top.

"But aside from all that, we've seen multiple quarterbacks of relatively diminutive stature have great success. … Plenty to like. A nice building block."

What's to make of Curran's somewhat icy report?

The sports guy who is all about reading between the lines had a lot to make of it, as Colin Cowherd dove into the topic on Friday's edition of "The Herd."

And he began by lauding Curran for his honest assessment of the Patriots' first-round pick.

"A good reporter should be occasionally ticking off local people. That's the sign of a good reporter. If you're not ticking off local fans a little bit, you're not doing your job. That's Tom Curran."

Cowherd then revisited his pre-draft assessment of Jones.

"What did I bang on before the draft? Trust your eyes. … Remember, I kept saying, when Trey Lance walks into the 49ers’ [building], you're gonna go, ‘Oh – that’s a pro athlete.' Justin Fields walks into a camp, even if he's not great at the line of scrimmage for a couple years, you're gonna go, ‘Ooooo! That's a player. That's a baller.'

"Mac Jones is the shortest of all the first-round quarterbacks. He's the least athletic. His arm is not close to a Trevor Lawrence, Justin Fields [or] Zach Wilson. Worst NFL body. That made social media."

To be fair, Jones, Fields and Wilson are all listed at 6-foot-3. Lawrence, the top pick, is listed at 6-foot-6, and Lance checks in at 6-foot-4.

While Lawrence is touted for his size, arm and overall talent, Fields and Lance are thought to be the most elusive of the five first-round quarterbacks, along with having great size. Wilson is also known for his elusiveness, big arm and ability to make plays when the play breaks down.

In comparison, Cowherd is not sure what Jones' "gift" will be in the NFL and again made the point that the Niners would have made a mistake taking him near the top of the draft.

"In the NFL, you need a gift, and the reason you need a gift is because the plays rarely go as they're designed. … When the play breaks down, how do you escape? Lamar Jackson's got his legs. Russell Wilson's got his elusiveness. Cam and Big Ben [Roethlisberger] have got their size.

"Mac Jones: protection breaks down, teammate runs the wrong route – play is screwed. … This is why you cannot draft him No. 3."

The assessment of Jones, specifically in comparison to his draft classmates, will continue for the foreseeable future, as all five will presumably be the starter for their franchises at some point in time and their in-game performance will be the talk of the sports world.

Until then, OTA reports and eye tests will have to do.

For more up-to-date news on all things Patriots, click here to register for alerts on the FOX Sports app!