The New England Patriots are one of two teams scheduled to attend Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields’ pro day on Wednesday. It makes sense then that Mel Kiper Jr. has them selecting the signal-caller in the first round of the NFL draft. However, he has them doing so in a unique way.
Kiper sees the Patriots trading up with the Dallas Cowboys for the 10th overall pick. He hypothesizes New England will give up its 2022 first-round pick in return. With Dallas not needing a quarterback, it can focus on defense with the 15th overall pick. As a result, New England gets the quarterback it has been looking for.
Having thrown for 2,100 yards, 22 touchdowns and six interceptions, Fields could give the Patriots a dynamic playmaker at the position. As Kiper writes, Fields could be the perfect option to get the Patriots back into AFC East title contention.
This makes five quarterbacks in the top 10, with Bill Belichick & Co. making the move up for Fields, my second-ranked quarterback. All the moves the Patriots made in free agency showed me that they believe they can get right back into competing for the AFC East title, but I don’t think Cam Newton is the quarterback to get them there. He had too many accuracy issues last season. He’s not the long-term answer. Fields had an up-and-down 2020 season, but he can be a star if he becomes more consistent. And I trust that offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels will get him there.
With the Patriots needing a playmaker at the quarterback position once again, Fields could potentially be an option. Although this is one of the more complicated scenarios in selecting him, this isn’t outlandish given the needs of both parties.
