Justin Fields Has Become The Most Polarizing Player in the 2021 Draft. Why?
As we approach the 2021 NFL draft, rumors continue to swirl around the top prospects at the quarterback position. This is a pretty standard process, but there is one quarterback imparticular whose criticism seems excessive and, in some cases, flat out untrue.
Justin Fields wasn’t supposed to become the most polarizing quarterback of the 2021 class. Until the start of last season, he was seen as the clear choice for the second overall pick. ESPN draft expert Mel Kiper even suggested Fields could be the first player selected with a strong junior season.
But somewhere along the lines, the narrative surround Fields began to change. First, BYU standout Zach Wilson began to gain buzz for the QB2 position. Next, it was Trey Lance, who was labeled as more of a “high ceiling” prospect than Fields. Now, Alabama quarterback Mac Jones has is rumored by many to go in the top five, with many scouts giving him the nod over Fields.
So what exactly happened?
On the surface, Fields possesses almost everything a team would want in their franchise quarterback. He has athleticism, accuracy, a strong arm, sound decision-making, impressive tape, great numbers, and wins against tough competition. So what is there not to like?
The most noticeable flaw in Fields’ game is his processing speed. He can be a tick slow when going through his progressions and recognizing coverages. Although this isn’t the end of the world, this is one of the more challenging areas to project growth.
Some quarterbacks like Patrick Mahomes will display a limited ability to read defenses in college but improve significantly with NFL coaching. Other players see very little growth in that area and never are able to go through their progressions at the desired speed in the NFL.
This concern is pretty well justified, but it has also become greatly exaggerated. When I say Fields is “a tick slow” with his progressions, I’m saying he’s a little bit below where I’d want a quarterback drafted in the top five to be. He isn’t incapable of throwing past his first read like some are suggesting.
Where the criticism starts to confuse me is when it comes to his character. ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky said teams were “questioning whether Fields wants to be great or not” This is hard for me understand.
No player had less riding on the 2020 Big Ten football season than Justin Fields. He was guaranteed to be a top-five pick and had very little to gain from having a season.
No player advocated more to have the Big Ten season reinstated than Justin Fields did. While many players opted out, Fields continued to campaign for a reinstated season.
Justin Fields didn’t need the season, but he wanted to play anyway. Despite Ohio State missing several games and practices, due to COVID-19. Despite missing key starters due to virus concerns, Fields stayed 100% committed.
Justin Fields, like any prospect, has his question marks, but the desire to be great and leadership should not be one of them.
Even Fields transferring from Georgia after his freshman season shouldn’t hold any weight on draft night. The last three first overall picks, Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray, and Joe Burrow, all transferred during their college careers.
It is interesting is how much media attention Fields’ character concerns will get with little evidence of any problems. On the other hand, the media will almost completely ignore character issues for the other top quarterbacks in the draft.
Regardless of how you spin it, Fields has quickly become one of the most fascinating prospects in recent memory. Despite the bevy of NFL traits he possesses, he is met with an amount of criticism we aren’t use to seeing top five picks receive.
With the draft only three weeks away, there is still a lot of uncertainty surrounding where Fields will end up. But wherever he goes, he is going to have a lot of people to prove wrong.
