Almost every year we see a parade of former Ohio State players taken in the NFL draft. This year should be no different, but unlike other years, there may not be as many going in the first round as what we’ve been accustomed to. In fact, according to ESPN draft expert Mel Kiper, Jr., he expects just one Buckeye to go in the first 32 picks of his 2021 NFL mock draft.
We probably don’t have to tell you who that player is, but we will anyway. He may have fallen down the draft boards just a wee-bit, but Kiper believes quarterback Justin Fields will still go very, very early in the NFL Draft because — well, it is a quarterback league and Fields is one of the best on the board.
Where Kiper has Fields going might be a bit surprising though.
NEXT … Where Mel Kiper has Justin Fields being drafted
Justin Fields – No. 7 overall pick to the Detroit Lions
What Kiper, Jr. says about Fields
Things change quickly in the NFL. Before the news on Saturday that the Lions were going to trade quarterback Matthew Stafford this offseason, I would have said that they should keep Stafford and try to help him with a wide receiver in this draft. Alabama’s Jaylen Waddle would have fit here. But instead it appears that new general manager Brad Holmes and coach Dan Campbell will go all-in on a rebuild, and so Fields could be the face of it. He had an up-and-down season, but we saw the flashes of his talent, particularly in his six-touchdown performance against Clemson in the College Football Playoff semifinal. Fields has superstar potential, but he’ll need help around him. Detroit will need to figure out what it’s doing with free-agent wideouts Kenny Golladay and Marvin Jones Jr. and make sure Fields has a chance to succeed in Year 1.
We must remind you that it only takes one NFL type to fall in love with the potential of Fields. Remember too that Urban Meyer is now the head coach of Jacksonville. It’s unlikely Meyer will take the former OSU quarterback over Trevor Lawrence, but it is highly possible that Fields goes before Zach Wilson. We just don’t know, but we sure are excited to find out.
Also, aside from Fields, look for offensive guard Wyatt Davis to also sneak into the first round. We’re not sure why Kiper left him out, but he’s got a first-round grade by most scouts. Maybe Kiper knows something we don’t, or maybe not.
Ohio State football player 2021 NFL draft declaration tracker
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