Justin Fields is a very interesting prospect. Before the season started, it seemed as if Fields was a lock to be the second quarterback taken in the draft behind Trevor Lawrence. However, with Zach Wilson, Trey Lance and Mac Jones stepping onto the scene, we may not even see Fields being the third or maybe forth quarterback taken.
In Fields’ final season at Ohio State, there were many games where he just looked out of sync, causing his draft stock to fall. I am personally not a fan of Fields, but I feel the his drop off in his draft stocks is way too dramatic.
Junior Season Highlights/Pro Day
Junior Season Stats
After Fields’ 41 to 3 TD/INT ratio in his sophomore season, he put together a pretty nice year in the shortened season. Fields threw for 2,100 yards with 22 touchdowns and six interceptions. Six of those passing touchdowns came in the Sugar Bowl against Clemson, when the Buckeyes routed the Tigers 49-28 to make it to the National Championship game. Fields also demonstrated his athleticism, too. He ran 81 times for 383 yards and 5 touchdowns.
Strengths
Out of al Fields’ strengths, I think his toughness and his ability to win football games is his greatest. As a starter for Ohio State, he never lost a Big Ten game. That is impressive considering the strength of the Big 10 conference. He also shows great athleticism and arm strength, which is what you want out of a quarterback. He throws a very catchable football and has very good deep ball accuracy.
Weaknesses
The main knock on Fields’ game lately is his inability to look off his first option. There were plenty of games where defenses would just read Fields’ eyes and were able to cut off passing lanes. Another weakness is his ability to sense pressure in the pocket. He does hold the ball for too long at times and takes unnecessary sacks.
Comparison and Draft Projection
Comparison – Dak Prescott
Draft Projection – Round 1, Pick 3 (San Francisco 49ers *via Miami Dolphins)
It is no secret that the 49ers traded up to take a quarterback, but which quarterback is the question. All I’ve been hearing is Mac Jones, as Kyle Shanahan does well with those types of quarterbacks. However, I don’t think the 49ers are going to pass up on Fields. His ceiling is higher than Jones’ is and I believe Shanahan wants to work on a new offense surrounding by an athletic quarterback.