NFL: Did sitting out of Senior Bowl help Mac Jones' career?

For Mac Jones, the Senior Bowl was the last chance before the 2021 NFL draft to show teams what he could do leading an offense. Dozens of players showed up and played their hearts out but Jones ended up missing the game.

Did that decision help his chances of succeeding in the NFL?

What happened with Mac Jones?

Fresh off a national championship victory with Alabama, Jones was invited to the Senior Bowl in January.

He showed up and participated in practices leading up to the game. In the final practice before the game, it was revealed that he was dealing with some soreness. However, he was moving well enough for everyone to assume that he would play.

But Mac Jones opted not to.

"We had a good conversation. ... They asked a lot of good questions."The QB-needy Patriots met with Alabama's Mac Jones at the Senior Bowl. https://t.co/VEwwguNbFX pic.twitter.com/2kZO0uxOVK

— Zack Cox (@ZackCoxNESN) January 28, 2021

2021 Draft Night

Mac Jones nervously looked on as quarterbacks Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson, Trey Lance, and Justin Fields went off the board in the first 11 picks.

The camera continued to cut to a restless-looking Jones after every pick. Almost halfway through the first round, the New England Patriots finally called his name with the 15th pick in the NFL draft.

Some photos via @PATRIOTSdotCOM of QB Mac Jones at rookie minicamp. #Patriots pic.twitter.com/YqhdhW6DYx

— Evan Lazar (@ezlazar) May 15, 2021

Did sitting out of the Senior Bowl help or hurt Jones' draft stock?

Sitting out of the Senior Bowl meant Jones had one fewer chance to show teams what he could do. To skip the entire event would have been one situation but to show up and talk about an injury while walking around put off potential suitors. In other words, sitting out likely hurt his stock and caused his fall.

But dropping in the draft also meant that Jones was picked by one of the better teams in the draft. The Patriots have a culture of winning and usually have the general manager, head coach, and the rest of the roster to help guide the rookie. Jones should be happy about landing in New England.

Josh McDaniels and Bill Belichick

Mac Jones will be making less money than his contemporaries for the next few years, but learning from Bill Belichick and Josh McDaniels will give him a better chance of earning a second contract and a long-term future in the NFL.

And unlike Zach Wilson or Trevor Lawrence, Jones will also be safe from having to carry a franchise. If a rookie has too much on his plate, he can crumble and that can lead to him getting ostracized from the league.

Put simply, Mac Jones may have lost a little on draft night because he missed the Senior Bowl, but he may have won in long run.