Justin Fields is definitely a top 5 QB prospect in the upcoming 2021 NFL draft. But analysts in NFL circles are all over the place when it comes to ranking him amongst the Top 5. ESPN NFL draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. had a strong answer to all of Fields doubters
Advertisement
The New York Jets ended the 2020 season with a 2-14 record. And this earned them the No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft. While speculations have been running galore over who the 49ers will pick with the 3rd overall pick, the Jets have reportedly been locked in on 1 player, BYU QB Zach Wilson.
ESPN NFL Draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. disagrees with the likely selection, though.
Justin Fields career stats (1 year at Georgia, 2 at Ohio State).
– 34 games
– 68.4% completion
– 5,701 yards
– 67 TDs
– 9 INTs
– 178.8 passer efficiency rating
– 9.2 yards-per-attempt
– 1,133 rushing yards
– 19 rush TDs
– 4.4 yards-per-carry pic.twitter.com/gHvbGIZeL9— Cat Crave (@CatCraveBlog) April 3, 2021
Mel Kiper Jr. thinks the NY Jets should draft Justin Fields.
Ohio State Qb Justin Fields is one amongst a loaded QB class of 2021. Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence is considered a generational QB. But Fields is one competing amongst NDSU QB Trey Lance, Alabama QB Mac Jones and BYU QB Zach Wilson, all of whom are talented enough to be top 5 picks in any other draft class.
However, Kiper Jr. has revealed that he would select former Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields at No. 2 overall if he was running the Jets.
“I’ve been consistent with Justin all along,” Kiper the Rich Eisen Show this week. “The way he performed like a champion against Trevor [Lawrence] in that semi-final game, I think cemented it for me… I did stick with Fields for that reason.”
“After him, you get down to who’s the second quarterback and it’s debatable.”
We all know who the top-ranked QB is in this year’s #NFLDraft but from there @MelKiperESPN made us raise our eyebrows: pic.twitter.com/6pmZFPoDW3
— Rich Eisen Show (@RichEisenShow) April 22, 2021
Fields threw for 385 yards and six touchdowns in a monstrous win over Lawrence and Clemson to advance to the College Football Playoff title game this past season. He put up this monstrous game after taking a debilitating shot to the ribs that almost took him out of the game.
Today is a good day to remind everyone what Justin Fields did to Clemson in the College Football Playoff semifinal.
22/28 passing for 385 yards and 6 TDs.pic.twitter.com/A8Tew4MUWt
— NFL Update (@MySportsUpdate) April 18, 2021
Kiper, though, thinks that Jets GM Joe Douglas has fallen in love with Wilson as a player.
“So he had some talent around him, but I just think that Joe Douglas fell in love with the talent and said, ‘OK, I love this kid. I can reset the clock. Sam Darnold, I liked but I can move him on, get some draft picks,’” Kiper said. “If they weren’t picking second and in a position to draft Zach Wilson, he would’ve stuck with Sam Darnold and not moved on. So obviously for him, it was Trevor Lawrence or Zach Wilson and nobody else.”
PFF Passing Grade in 2020 among top 2021 Draft QBs:
1. Zach Wilson – 95.5
2. Mac Jones – 94.8
…
6. Justin Fields – 92.2
…
10. Trevor Lawrence – 90.3 pic.twitter.com/Nxkz1A3gQN— PFF Draft (@PFF_College) April 18, 2021
For the majority of the 2020 season, Justin Fields was considered the 2nd best QB prospect. He was named back-to-back Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year in 2019 and 2020 and led the Buckeyes to a national championship appearance in 2020. However, Fields’ draft stock has taken a hit heading into the draft.
Where Fields and the other QB’s go in the upcoming draft will be one of the biggest stories heading into the draft.
Also Read: NFL Draft 2021: Will Fans Be Allowed to Attend the 2021 NFL Draft in Cleveland?
