Mac Jones Proved He Should Be Atop Offensive Rookie of the Year Discussions

Mac Jones was precise in his NFL debut.
Mac Jones was precise in his NFL debut. / Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports
facebooktwitterreddit

Mac Jones just earned the starting job last week, but he’s already showing why he’s one of the favorites to win Offensive Rookie of the Year. 

WynnBET had Jones' odds to win the award at +300, sandwiched in between Trevor Lawrence at +275 and Zach Wilson at +600 prior to Week 1's kickoff.

Jones went against his former Alabama teammate, Tua Tagovailoa in his first start and had a very debut. He finished with 281 yards, 1 touchdown and 0 interceptions. The Patriots lost the game, but Jones’ performance was promising.

It was also a great performance compared to the ones his peers showcased earlier in the day. 

Trevor Lawrence, who’s been the heavy favorite to win the award since he was drafted, had a rough debut. Lawrence and the Jaguars were destroyed by the Houston Texans, 37-21 -- with the final score closer than how the actual game played out. Lawrence threw three touchdowns and 332 yards, but his day was defined by the three interceptions he threw. 

Every rookie is given leeway, but three interceptions is definitely something to be worried about. 

The second pick in the draft, Zach Wilson, had a slightly better day than Lawrence, but still had his own issues. Wilson finished with 258 yards, two touchdowns and one interception, but had a near 50% completion percentage. Wilson and the Jets were shut out in the first half and weren’t able to truly make it a game until the fourth quarter. 

Jones was able to control the game and keep New England within striking distance, but the Patriots weren't able to get one more score to take the lead. Jones, despite the loss, gets credit for the best performance out of the three rookies that started and should see his odds to win ROY rise to the top of the list.


Will Mac Jones win Offensive Rookie of the YearDownload the WynnBET app and make your pick today.