NFL Notes: Mac Jones, Draft, Rule Changes

Mac Jones

Alabama QB Mac Jones compared knocks on himself to those that were put on QB Tom Brady when he was an NFL Draft prospect.

“I don’t like to compare myself to him, I’ve got a long way to go,” Jones said, via Pro Football Talk. “But coming out of college it was, doesn’t have the arm strength, can’t throw a spiral, can’t move. I can do that stuff, but it’s more like the intangible stuff. . . . He’s got the fire still, and that’s why he’s so good.”

Draft

• According to Jason La Canfora, NFL teams like Tulsa LB Zavien Collins more than mock drafts do. He also mentions that Ohio State LB Pete Werner and Kentucky LB Jamin Davis will likely go higher than expected.
• La Canfora adds that a few executives believe the top of the draft is going to be very offense heavy. 
• La Canfora also thinks USC OL Alijah Vera-Tucker will be the third offensive lineman taken.
• Tony Pauline said Louisiana Tech DT Milton Williams is getting first-round grades from teams: “Milton Williams is getting late first-round grades from some teams. Doesn’t mean he’s going to go in the first round, it just means that he’s getting Top 32 grades from teams.“
• NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport reports that Alabama WR Jaylen Waddle‘s ankle dislocation from last season is “healing properly” and will be ready to go for the 2021 season.
• Rapoport adds Alabama RB Najee Harris and WR DeVonta Smith have no issues in their recoveries from ankle and dislocated finger injuries respectively. 
• According to Ian Rapoport, Oregon OT Penei Sewell has been training at both right and left sides. 

Rule Changes

• According to Tom Pelissero, the NFL’s competition committee’s proposal for expanding booth-to-official communication with video has “strong support” among coaches. Pelissero adds that this proposition will likely pass in next Wednesday’s meeting. 
• Pelissero notes that this will allow the replay official and the New York officiating department to advise on-field referees on specific aspects of plays based on video evidence.
• Under the new rules, the replay official and those in New York cannot call or rescind penalty calls. However, situations that are clearly determined by video evidence like possession of the ball, pass completion or incompletions, down by contact, or other instances will come into assistance under the new proposal. (Pelissero)
• Pelissero adds that the proposal to ease restrictions on jersey numbers, like receivers and running backs using single-digits, has “strong support among NFL teams.” 
• Among proposals unlikely to pass is a 4th-and-15 alternative to the onside kick. (Pelissero)
• However, there is “hope” that a proposal to limit the receiving team to nine players in the “setup zone” for onside kicks would fix the success rate for onside attempts.