It wasn’t that long ago that former Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields (we can say that now) was thought to be one of the top two or three prospects in the upcoming 2021 NFL draft. Some analysts even wondered if he could do enough to supplant Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence as the No. 1 overall pick.
Those days appear to be gone.
Some inconsistency in a couple of games in 2020 has changed the mind it seems forever of some of the NFL analysts and scouts that get paid to give opinions on these sorts of things, and Fields has quickly gone from potential No. 1, to outside the top ten in some cases.
Case in point — ESPN NFL draft guru Todd McShay just recently released his list of top 32 NFL draft prospects (subscription required) and Fields has fallen even further down than what any of us would have believed at the beginning of the year, and especially after the first three games when the dual-threat QB had more touchdowns than incompletions.
So where does McShay have him now, and why? Here’s what one of the most well-known NFL player evaluators says.
NEXT … Where Fields falls and why
No. 13 – Ohio State QB, Justin Fields
What McShay says about Fields
“Fields starred in 2019 with 41 touchdown passes and only three interceptions, and he really progressed under Buckeyes coach Ryan Day. In 2020, he had 22 passing touchdowns, a 70.2% completion rate (seventh best in the FBS) and 2,100 passing yards in eight games.”
“He is very accurate throwing downfield and throws effectively off-schedule and off-platform. There is some zip on his ball too, and he displays a quick release. Fields is mobile in the pocket and rushed for five scores. There might be some consistency concerns, but he is dynamic and grades out as a good NFL starting QB, as his 91.7 Total QBR (second in the nation) might suggest.”
NEXT … What we say
Justin Fields’s in the 2021 NFL draft
What we say
You have to respect what McShay says because he lives and breathes this stuff. However, it’s hard to believe someone that played against the level of competition that Fields did would fall down to the fourth-best quarterback in the draft. McShay now has Lawrence, BYU’s Zach Wilson, and North Dakota State’s Trey Lance ranked ahead of the former Heisman finalist.
With the physical tools Fields has, and the game tape he’s put out there as a body of work, I find it hard to believe he’s not still a top three signal-caller in this draft class and I think that will show when it’s all said and done. Especially considering the leadership and toughness he has shown working through injury.
All Ohio State football players eligible for the 2021 NFL draft
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