Mac Jones the next Tom Brady? Tua sees it in his Alabama successor

Mac Jones is gaining more buzz leading up to the 2021 NFL Draft but former Alabama teammate Tua Tagovailoa offered a lofty comp: Tom Brady.

Alabama’s 2020 season began with questions about whether or not Mac Jones could adequately replace Tua Tagovailoa. But after the campaign, one in which Jones led the Crimson Tide to an undefeated National Championship and finished third in Heisman Trophy voting, the narrative has shifted to how high Jones should be selected in the 2021 NFL Draft.

Make no mistake, Jones is not the top quarterback of the class. Trevor Lawrence is the unquestioned QB1 of the 2021 NFL Draft and most would have Justin Fields and Zach Wilson above Jones in the pecking order as well. But the Alabama product indeed comes into the equation when you start discussing Trey Lance and the QB4/QB5 conversation.

If you ask the man Jones succeeded in Tuscaloosa, however, Jones might belong in the GOAT conversation. In a Yahoo Sports podcast interview when asked to describe Jones, Tua said, “I would say he’s a sly kind of athletic person. He’s a more mobile Tom Brady.”

Comparing anyone to a seven-time Super Bowl champion and arguably the greatest quarterback in NFL history puts a lot of pressure on Jones. For what it’s worth, Tagovailoa isn’t the only person to throw Brady’s name around with the 2021 draft prospect.

ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper said he saw “a little bit of Brady in him” when talking about Jones, praising the Alabama quarterback’s smarts, field vision and competitive nature, among other aspects of his game. Though, Kiper did add that he would probably never be on Brady’s level.

Mac Jones probably isn’t Tom Brady but that doesn’t mean he can’t be a quality NFL quarterback.

Comparing any NFL Draft prospect to someone of Tom Brady’s caliber is borderline irresponsible. It’s like comparing a running back to Barry Sanders, a wide receiver to Randy Moss or Jerry Rice, an edge rusher to Lawrence Taylor and so on. It’s saying that the prospect compares to an all-time great, which puts unnecessary pressure on him.

That’s even more so the case with Brady. One of the things that makes Brady’s NFL journey so special is the fact that he was the 199th overall pick in the draft. Mac Jones is going to be a first-round pick, which already puts him on a drastically different path into the professional ranks.

Having said that, just because Jones isn’t Brady shouldn’t immediately invalidate the heart behind the comparison. The Alabama product is a cerebral passer who, although he lacks some physical tools and athleticism that his 2021 draft peers possess, has the moxie and skills to succeed in the NFL.

So no, Mac Jones isn’t Tom Brady. Saying anything of the sort is just wild. However, Tagovailoa and Kiper aren’t wrong in heaping praise on the Crimson Tide star. He’s been a fast riser in the 2021 NFL Draft class and teams should be confident in handing the keys of their offense to him.