NFL Draft 2021: Five best picks of the first round
1. Justin Fields, Chicago Bears
The Bears paid a big price to move up nine slots to No. 11 to grab the talented quarterback, but the move will be a home run if Fields fulfills his potential in Chicago. He’s just the sort of dynamic option Matt Nagy needs under center to breathe life into the team’s moribund offense.
Fields might not beat Andy Dalton for the starting job when Week 1 kicks off, but it’s only a matter of time before he becomes Chicago’s starter. He has the arm strength to make every throw in Nagy’s playbook. Perhaps more importantly, he’s got elite speed for the quarterback position that should put a ton of pressure on opposing defenses to contain him on the edge.
The only real question about Fields’ game is whether or not he can read NFL defenses quickly enough to get rid of the football on time. Ohio State’s offensive scheme asked their quarterbacks to hold the ball for a long time to give their wideouts an opportunity to create separation. That’s a habit that can and will be broken by the Bears’ coaching staff in short order.
Next. Justin Fields ends Bears' quarterback misery. dark
The bottom line here is that the Bears managed to acquire a quarterback with legitimate star potential with the 11th pick in the draft. That’s great work by their much-maligned front office. Fields will be under immediate pressure to save the jobs of the current regime in Chicago, but he’s got the talent to turn things around in a major way.