New England Patriots 2021 NFL Draft: Bill Belichick blew it

The New England Patriots had the chance to change their franchise for the better. They could have picked the quarterback that turned the franchise around. They didn’t do that on Thursday.

Everything seemed to be falling into place for the Pats. The 49ers changed course and selected Trey Lance with the third pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. This changed the course of the draft with them not selecting Mac Jones.

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Patriots fans watched both Justin Fields and Jones drop. So who did New England end up selecting?

As the picks kept coming in it seemed more and more likely that Fields would be coming to New England. Then the trade happened. Chicago traded up from the 20th overall pick to No.11 and they took Fields.

The Patriots still had options at No.15. Of course, Jones was still available but they also could have taken Zaven Collins or Kwity Paye to boost the defense.

But Bill Belichick did his best buddy Nick Saban a favor and selected the quarterback out of Alabama.

Why Bill Belichick blew it for the New England Patriots

The Patriots could have had Fields. It’s really that simple.

New England needs a game-changing quarterback. Fields would be able to study under Cam Newton in what would be an almost perfect scenario.

Newton has known about Fields for a while. Fields attended one of Newton’s camps and Cam was impressed.

Fields is an amazing athlete. He has the necessary speed to extend plays and escape pressure but also has the arm to make some impressive throws. He is exactly what you want in an NFL QB.

The days of a quarterback just sitting in the pocket are long gone. We have seen Patrick Mahomes and Kyler Murray prove just that. Even in this draft, the No.1 overall pick was a QB who can both run and pass the ball in Trevor Lawrence.

So let’s get to Jones. He had an amazing season at Alabama there’s no denying that. He seems to have some quality arm strength and likes to delve into playbooks and really study the game.

But at his Pro Day, Jones didn’t look the best. He missed some easy throws. If he can’t hit wide open receivers when no one is rushing him, imagine what will happen when NFL defensive ends are chasing after him?

Then there’s also the fact that Jones had better weapons at Alabama than he does in New England. Jaylen Waddle and DeVonta Smith are much better receivers than anyone on the Patriots roster.

Belichick had the chance to get the QB that New England needed and he blew it. After Day 1 it seems to once again be a disappointing draft for Belichick and the Patriots.