My number two ranked quarterback in the 2021 NFL draft for the Patriots, is less of a fit than original thought. He completed 68.4 percent of 618 attempts, for 5701 yards with 67 touchdowns and 9 interceptions. Getting sacked 65 times over the course of his college career. He also rushed for 19 touchdowns with a 4.4 yard average on 260 carries. Standing 6'3" 228, he is Justin Fields from Ohio State.
Fields is accurate with good ball placement most of the time but he has points where his trajectory off and he's throwing more to the bubble, rather than the player. Although some argue that it was the pass catchers fault, Patriots fans saw over the 2020 season and how throwing to a bubble hurts pass catcher production.
He hits timing routes with good anticipation. Fields has good arm strength but he knows when to take something off most of the time to keep the ball catchable, and he throws with touch. The problem is where the ball goes when he doesn't take something off.
There Is also concern about his awareness and ability to stand in the pocket under pressure, he can bolt when he shouldn't, or worse freeze. He has the ability to avoid pressure and get rid of the ball, he for some reason doesn't always. He's another scared quarterback like Jarrett Stidham .
Fields has good vision when he goes through his reads but also has that aggressive gunslinger mindset, looking for the big play and needs to take advantage of dink and dunk underneath routes. He has a habit of locking onto his first read and not looking off the safety.
Fields is accurate in the short to intermediate routes but his accuracy seems to fade with deeper throws but the number of those throws that were from broken plays could account for some of that. But that questions his accuracy on the move.
He can rely too much on his arm strength, trying to force the ball into tight windows or worse covered receivers, and needs to do a better job going through his progressions. Something he won't learn to correct behind Cam because Cam still does this after 10 seasons.
Fields is fluent throwing on the run and has to be accounted for by the defense. He's more of a finesse type runner than Cam, and isn't scared to take of for a few yards, especially in short yardage situations. However, Fields needs to learn to slide and again just because he can throw on the run doesn't mean the balls going where it needs to be.
The good news is Fields is very coachable. The bad is he gets lazy at times and it shows in his accuracy. His decision making can be questionable. He's got all the potential to be a top pick but his consistency and work ethic on the field hurt his value. I'm not saying he doesn't show up, I'm saying he doesn't always give his all. Kinda like the issues we had with Randy Moss.
His footwork is said to be sloppy at times, throwing from the wrong stants and his throwing mechanics could be tighter. Again, something Patriots fans saw too much of in 2020.
Fields is a leader in the locker room and should be able to lift those around him. Fields is probably not a day one starter as some of his flaws may require some development, however he's still better than probably the bottom 5 or 6 starters right out the gate. Teams may want to plan to redshirt him in year one. The big question is are his positives worth all the red flags?
When looking for information on Fields, three names come up, Deshaun Watson who is an elite top tier quarterback. Dak Prescott, whom to me is an above average top 10 to 16 quarterback, and Ryan Tannihill who is a below average top 18 to 24 quarterback.
What I read is a younger version of Cam Newton with potential to get his problems fixed. That kinda range makes Fields a scary prospect as he is definitely high risk, high reward. I believe fields could fall but how far is the question. Trading up for Fields is about as risky as McDaniels drafting Tebow in the first round, the potential is there but the risk of failure is greater.
When was the last time an Ohio State quarterback succeed in the NFL? In fact, what do pro level Ohio State quarterbacks and Chicago Bears quarterbacks have in Common? They both are almost guaranteed for failure. That's right, I'm comparing The Bears to the Buckeyes. Known for their defense and running games carrying their quarterbacks.
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