Some would say Justin Fields was the second-best quarterback prospect coming into the draft behind only Trevor Lawrence. After a fantastic performance against Clemson in the College Football Playoffs, somehow, Fields saw his draft stock declined drastically leading up to the draft, and he was ultimately the fourth quarterback selected.

Fields is entering a situation in Chicago where he has the chance to essentially be the savior for their team. He basically fell into their lap at pick 11, and they couldn’t pass him up. The Chicago Bears have never had a franchise-caliber player under center in the existence of their franchise for over 100 years dating back over to 1920.

Fields, an Atlanta native, has had comparisons to Dak Prescott with a higher ceiling in terms of the caliber of player he could become. His ceiling could potentially be Russell Wilson and his floor could be Dak Prescott which isn’t a bad trade-off from a guy taken outside of the top ten. 

By all accounts, Fields should come in and be the guy despite Andy Dalton being signed in the offseason and being immediately branded “QB1” by the team.

The Bears moved up in the draft in order to have a chance to take Fields so it would be only fitting for the team to name him the Week 1starter coming into the season.

In any other draft class, Fields would have been able to make an argument to be the number one overall pick if the right team needed a quarterback. His numbers in college were impressive after transferring from Georgia and becoming a starter at Ohio State. In his last season as a Buckeye, he won the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year award for the second straight season, finishing the year ranked sixth in completion percentage. He also tallied 22 touchdowns through the air and five rushings with only six interceptions. 

His dual-threat ability makes him an exciting option at quarterback as most guys that have any success in the league now need to be mobile. That’s one thing scouts now look for when evaluating guys, which is a new trend these days as the NFL has transitioned to an offense-based league. With Fieldsstanding at 6’3”e and almost 230 pounds, he’s got some size on him as a mobile guy to take some hits outside of the pocket.

Fields offers a blend of athleticism, throwing ability and clutch play unique to him that sets him apart from his peers in this draft class. Having been recruited by an SEC school and playing in the Big Ten, he is not a stranger to the big stage. 

Fields is a playmaker, and that is precisely what is needed for this team, and head coach Matt Nagy is looking to pair Allen Robinson and Fields for a lethal combination for the foreseeable future. If he and the coaching staff can find a scheme that complements him and the rest of the offense as well, we could look at Fields making an impact early and maybe even capturing the Offensive Rookie of the Year Award in nine months time.