Mac Jones ‘secretly wanted to go to the Patriots all along’

Mac Jones and the Patriots were a logical pairing for quite some time. The Patriots have a tendency to target SEC quarterbacks and Alabama players, needed a quarterback, and Jones was projected to be right in their range. That left many Patriots fans hoping Jones would be the one to end the long-term quarterback uncertainty that’s loomed over the franchise for the last year.

When the Patriots drafted Jones 15th overall, many Patriots fans got their wish. They weren’t the only ones who viewed it as a perfect match – the quarterback himself ended up where he wanted to be from the beginning.

“Secretly, I really wanted to go to the Patriots all along. So I’m actually really happy that it happened,” Jones said in his first appearance in front of New England media. The answer was related to a question about his fall, after many projected for weeks that he was the San Francisco 49ers’ target with the third overall pick. “At the end of the day, you kind of want to just get the right fit,” Jones remarked about ending up in New England instead of by the Bay.

What makes Jones so sure Foxborough is a fit? “Honestly, New England is just a great place. In watching them in the past years, they do everything right,” he explained. “It’s all about the team. That’s kind of what I grew up knowing, is being a teammate and then obviously winning. It comes down to winning football games and New England has done that, but they don’t look in the past. They just look in future.”

That mentality all starts with Bill Belichick, who Jones has known for a few years now after playing under Nick Saban at Alabama. Jones recalled seeing Belichick at Alabama pro days in the past, not just this past season but in his underclassman years as well.

“He’s a great coach and I’m just glad that he was there and I got to show off some of my skills and stuff,” Jones said. “But at the end of the day, he’s the coach and I’m the player and I’m just looking forward to him coaching me hard and me just take good coaching. So that’s what it comes down to.”

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  In addition to their pro day interactions, Jones said the Patriots stood out for how they conducted themselves during pre-draft meetings. "I think they did a great job, first of all, figuring out what type of person I was - what type of person I am by just hearing my background, which is what a lot of people do," he explained. "But it felt more personable with the Patriots. And then from there, watching my tape, even watch some stuff from like the senior bowl and stuff and and dig and talk football. And that's what I love to do, is just talk football."
  
  Once he gets to New England, Jones will have a number of people to talk football with, both on the coaching staff and in the locker room. He'll join multiple former Alabama teammates in Foxborough, but one stands out.
  
  "Me and Damien [Harris] are pretty much best friends," Jones said. "He's helped me through the draft process and I've been telling him the whole time that I wanted to come to the Patriots. So I'm just happy that it happened." Jones also mentioned speaking with defensive end Anfernee Jennings, who the Patriots selected in the draft last year. "At the end of the day, they're going to be guys I look up to and guys that I want to be a great teammate for."
  
  On Thursday night, Mac Jones got what he wanted - to be drafted by the Patriots. Now can he give the fans what they want - an end to the year-long speculation about the future of the quarterback position in New England.

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Alex Barth is a writer and digital producer for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Thoughts? Comments? Questions? Looking for a podcast guest? Let him know on Twitter @RealAlexBarth or via email at abarth@985TheSportsHub.com.