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The debate is already over with who will become the number one pick, and quarterback off of the board. Trevor Lawrence has locked down that title for a long time now, and he has solidified it with his great pro day. The real debate is who the QB2 of the draft will be, whether it be Justin Fields, Zach Wilson, or even Trey Lance…the draft community will never find a consensus on who the guy will be. My job is to provide you with the facts and what I have seen from these QBs to allow you to make an educated decision for yourself. The Zach Wilson scouting report is up, but now it is time to focus on the big shot from Ohio State, Justin Fields.
Justin Fields Stats and Measurables
Position: QB
School: Ohio State University
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 228 lbs
2019 Stats:
Passing: 3273 YDS / 67.2 Comp % 9.2 AVG / 41 TD / 3 INT
Rushing: 137 ATT / 484 YDS / 3.5 AVG / 10 TD
2020 Stats:
Passing: 2100 YDS / 70.2 Comp % 9.3 AVG / 22 TD / 9 INT
Rushing: 81 ATT / 383 YDS / 4.7 AVG / 5 TD
Pros
- Athletic Ability: Justin Fields is electric with the ball in his hands. Whether it be rushing or passing, his pure athleticism takes over at times and shows what a dynamic and destructive QB he can be. A perfect example of this is the game against Clemson in the CFP semi-finals. His athleticism takes over after the brutal hit and combined with his heart, he makes plays that no quarterback in college football had any business making after that kind of hit. As a runner, Fields is even more electric, as his quick acceleration and power can make a 5-yard loss into a 15 yard gain. He isn’t afraid to take hits either, as you will often see him lowering his shoulder to fight for extra yards instead of sliding
- Deep Ball: Justin Fields has an incredible deep ball. His release may take a little longer as a result, but when he winds up for a deep ball it floats extremely well to his receiver. He tends to put too much loft on the ball sometimes, and his placement can also get shotty, but his pure ability to throw the deep ball is something to be excited about.
- RPO/Play Action: Justin Fields, when playing out of the RPO or play action, is incredibly accurate reads the field extremely well. This is not to say he’s terrible when just sitting back in the pocket, but he plays the best with RPO and play action. His athleticism elevates these offensive sets, as the defense is left to wonder if he will run or sit back and take the shot. Fields sells the play extremely well and it’s where Ohio State as a whole finds the most success.
- Heart/It Factor: The media may have just caught onto this in the Clemson game, but Justin Fields has always shown his love for the game and moments where you begin to think Justin Fields can be a star in the NFL. Whether it be coming back from a brutal hit against Clemson or fighting through and winning games where he started off playing poorly, Fields never gives up on the game or his team. NFL GMs are going to fall in love with this trait and for a good reason.
Cons
- Reading the Field: Whether it is the result of how Ohio State runs their offense or Justin himself, he can have trouble reading the field. He can tend to miss a drifting defender or stay locked on a receiver for way too long. He can also tend to throw balls he has no business throwing. Sometimes they work, but a lot of the time it is picked or close to being picked. He needs to do a better job with just going with the easy throws, and don’t just lock onto one receiver.
- Pocket Awareness: Even as a mobile quarterback, Justin does not have the best pocket awareness. He can tend to sit in the pocket for an extensive amount of time, and not feel the pocket closing. This could be for a number of reasons, whether he cannot feel it or the receiver routes take way too long to develop, he just is not getting the ball out in time. He needs to do a better job of managing his internal clock, and if the play is not developed before he begins to feel it, he needs to run.
- Consistency: At times Fields looks like a future All-Pro, and sometimes he looks like a quarterback that will fizz out in the NFL. Fields needs to become more consistent with his game, and this is one of the things that make it so hard to scout Fields. We can see his top-level performances are that of an elite quarterback, but we also have to worry about the performances when he looks like he is not a first-round pick. Fields has to show NFL front offices and scouts he can clean it up and become consistently elite.
Consensus: Justin Fields can be the QB that gets a General Manager fired or gets him a ten-year extension. When at his best, he can be the best quarterback in this class and the NFL. At his worst, he can be a bust of epic proportions. I think if Justin lands on the right team that caters to his strengths and weaknesses he can be truly great. I would predict that Justin Fields is a franchise quarterback for the Jets, Panthers, Falcons, or Eagles. If any of these teams can groom him the right way they got their guy for the next decade.
NFL Comparison: Cam Newton
Prospect Grade: 89.5
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