Welcome to Chicago, Updated: Justin Fields, Quarterback

Face of the franchise. [Photo credit: ESPN on Twitter]

Ryan Pace got aggressive and moved up from 20 to 11 to select Ohio State QB Justin Fields. In return, the Bears send their first-round pick next year, as well as a 5th this year and a 4th next year. My take on Fields from the liveblog:

Fields looked incredibly impressive at times during at Ohio State, never more so than when he nuked Clemson in the playoffs with an injured back. However, he struggled a bit against the more complex defenses he faced, like Northwestern. So the question is – which guy is he?

Strengths

– Possibly the best passer in the class
– Can make all the throws
– Fast
– Great deep ball
– Tough player
– Did I mention fast?
– Strong footwork
– Does a good job of setting his receivers up to gain yards after the catch
– Takes care of the football
– Seriously, dude runs a 4.41

Needs improvement

– Slow going through his progression
– Tends to linger on first read
– Likes to see his receiver come open; lacks anticipation
– Poor throwing motion; drops the ball down too low
– Gets rattled by pressure too easily
– Takes unnecessary hits

Intangibles

– Is Deadhead

𝘊𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘴. pic.twitter.com/0XMHMaSKFf

— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) May 2, 2021

No, I don’t know why he’s wearing a mask outside with nobody anywhere near him. Like I said, his situational awareness could use a little work.

Potential: Immense. I can’t think of anyone who’s had his combination of passing ability and athleticism. RGIII if he hadn’t been ruined by Washington maybe?

Variance: High. We just saw what happens when a quarterback can’t handle the mental side of the NFL.

Confidence level: High. Fields comes into the league a bit more polished than Trubisky was.

Ceiling: Rich man’s Deshaun Watson.

Floor: Tyrod Taylor.

Verdict: So back to the question from the liveblog: is Fields the guy who lit up Clemson or the guy who struggled against Northwestern? Probably more of the former. Fields has all the physical tools to be a superstar; now, it’s a matter of adjusting to the NFL. His biggest issue is his processing speed and now he’s going up against NFL speed and NFL defenses. It’s an adjustment I’m confident he can make, but he could really use a year to get up to speed before taking over as the starter. Serving as Dalton’s backup for a year gives him a chance to learn from the veteran and not take a bunch of unnecessary hits.

Twitter: @KSchroeder_312