NFL Draft: Jaylen Waddle also picks Mac Jones over Tua Tagovailoa

This year’s NFL Draft class features two Alabama wide receivers who look to be first round draft selections. Both of which were in a dynamic and explosive offense in their final seasons, but also played with two high caliber collegiate quarterbacks during their time.

During the Senior Bowl DeVonta Smith was asked who his quarterback preference was, Mac Jones or Tua Tagovailoa? His answer of Jones came as a shock to many and erupted amongst many fans. This led to wide receiver Jaylen Waddle being asked the same question in an NFL Network interview with NFL Analyst Andrew Siciliano.

Siciliano laid out the question for Waddle, and to many peoples surprise the answer was again, Jones.

This of course makes headlines once again as Waddle was quick and confident in his answer, following it up talking about how he entered Alabama with Jones and worked a lot of third-team reps alongside him, while the two worked their way up the depth chart.

Waddle was fortunate enough to play alongside both the Heisman finalists during his career, but endured his most dynamic season with Jones at the helm. Jones and Waddle connected for 557 yards and four touchdowns in the first four games of the season this past year.

While it was a short season for Waddle, who suffered an ankle injury that prohibited his presence in the back half of the season, he was very dynamic and looked to be the best of the Alabama receivers during those four games to start off the year. Of course, it was Smith’s time to shine once Waddle was no longer in the picture, leading to a historic season.

Waddle averaged over 21 yards a reception during 2020 and had over 120 yards in each of the four games he played in.

Teammates boosting Mac Jones’ 2021 NFL Draft stock?

Both Jones and Tagovailoa are talented passers who endured great careers while at Alabama, but the popularity contest amongst the two seems to be in Jones’ favor. Tagovailoa ended up going top five in 2019, though his ceiling could have been even higher if not for a hip injury ending his time at Alabama early.

Jones on the other hand looks to have a wide range of opinions during his pre-NFL Draft process. Some value him as a top-three quarterback in this year’s class, while others don’t see him as a high end franchise quarterback. The opinions are over the place but one thing’s for certain and that is that Waddle and Smith’s quarterback preference have caused a lot of controversy with fans and media opinions of Tagovailoa and Jones scattered all over the place.