Newton: Mac Jones was 'right pick' for Patriots

Cam Newton wasn't bothered by the New England Patriots' decision to draft Mac Jones in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft.

"He was the right pick in my opinion," Newton said, according to ESPN's Mike Reiss. "He was the best player available, and that's what the NFL draft is for."

Newton also said he supports the move "110%."

Additionally, the 32-year-old has been impressed with what he's seen of Jones during mandatory minicamp.

"He's doing a great job with being everything that's advertised - from a leadership perspective, he's holding himself accountable. That's all you can ask from a young player," Newton said.

Although head coach Bill Belichick said in April he was open to a quarterback competition should Jones rise to the occasion, he praised Newton's progress earlier Tuesday, stating the signal-caller is "way ahead of where he was last year at this time."

The former MVP endured a difficult 2020 campaign in his first year in New England. Newton went 7-8 as a starter and threw more interceptions (10) than touchdowns (8), though he added another 12 scores on the ground.