NFL Draft 2021: Why is Justin Fields sliding?
The NFL Draft is around the corner and Ohio State's Justin Fields is experiencing a very surprising drop in stock. Justin Fields has been seen as the 1B for Trevor Lawrence 1A for the last two years. Yet, going into tomorrow’s NFL Draft it’s not certain where exactly the talented Ohio State signal caller is slated to go. What exactly happened to cause Fields to lose his standing as the consensus #2 quarterback in this NFL Draft class?
NFL Draft: The factors working against Fields
Going into tomorrow’s NFL Draft, Justin Fields only has two identifiable weaknesses. The first is consistency and the second is decision making concerns. Fields has some lowlights in his film that cause concern, but he is also only 22 years of age, so his decision making should get better with time. The 'consistency' criticism is valid as Fields completion % fluctuated from brilliant to terrible over the season. Fields' highs are equal to his lows and that seems to scare off teams. If Fields' decision making does improve with time and his consistency levels out then whoever in this upcoming NFL Draft takes Fields will have a flawless QB.
Another factor working against Fields is the NFL Draft culture itself. In such a saturated industry filled with so many competitive people, following the crowd won’t get you noticed. As a result many have promoted lesser talented QBs as a way of standing out. Sadly the majority of scouts lift their chosen player up whilst pulling Fields down.
Mac Jones is praised for his ability to process defenses, Zach Wilson is praised for his off schedule throws which have scouts drooling and Trey Lance is seen as the most intriguing QB talent in this draft due to all his elite physical traits. With Trevor Lawrence seemingly untouchable as QB1, the majority of scouts began to nitpick Fields on a micro level, and it has caused his draft stock to plummet. This is despite Fields being the most well-rounded QB of all the remaining signal callers after Lawrence.
NFL Draft: The factors working for Fields
The pros with Justin Fields scream franchise quarterback. Fields' arm talent is crazy, he ran a 4;44 forty and has put out so much impressive tape over the last two years. Dropping into the NFL Draft may seem like a curse initially, but it allows the prospect of falling past the dysfunctional franchises at the top of the draft towards the more stable franchises in the middle of the NFL Draft. Fields has all the physical traits, the elite arm talent and has showcased tremendous leadership skills in helping make BIG TEN football possible this past season by pushing for a season despite the ongoing pandemic.
Justin Fields has a complete skill set. If he falls to the right organization who can provide him with a stable growth environment, It's impossible to envoision how he fails to turn into a superstar QB.