Social media loves Justin Fields to the Chicago Bears

With the 11th pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, the Chicago Bears have selected Ohio State Buckeye superstar QB Justin Fields.

Fields, who finished seventh in Heisman voting in 2020, will step into the spotlight as the Bears starting QB from day one.

Justin Fields threw for 5,701 yards, 67 touchdowns and nine interceptions through three seasons at the collegiate level, two of which with Ohio State.

Last season, Fields led the Buckeyes past top overall pick Trevor Lawrence and the Clemson Tigers to the National Championship game before ultimately losing to second overall pick Mac Jones and the Alabama Crimson Tide.

As a senior in high school, Fields was named Mr. Football in the state of Georgia.

The Bears were so impressed with Fields that they traded up from No. 20 for the New York Giants No. 11 pick. Social media loved the pick for both the Bears and Fields himself.

Get to know Justin Fields

TheDraftNetwork.com states that:

"“Justin Fields projects as a franchise quarterback at the NFL level — he offers the blend of throwing ability, athleticism, stature and clutch play that will cause NFL teams to fall in love with his evaluation, even if his 2020 campaign showed some cracks in his play. Fields’ ability as a passer is top shelf when accounting for his natural delivery and how easily he’s proven to be able to throw around defenders or work himself into generating velocity and accuracy when on the move; the Buckeyes embraced rolling pocket with Fields at quarterback to take advantage of his arm strength and the subsequent access he’ll get to all areas of the field as a passer. Fields will kill man-coverage heavy teams with his legs; he’s big, strong and yet still quite dynamic as a runner — so breaking contain and converting third downs with his legs is a large staple of the conflict Fields is capable of putting you into as a player. There’s also plenty of examples of Fields successfully engineering option-based reps in the mesh point between zone read, RPO concepts and extending even to sparing use of the speed option, giving his NFL coordinator the full bag of tricks to create conflict defenders and isolate them in the game plan. It’s what Fields has largely done best. There are instances of overconfidence in his arm and continuing to quicken his process beyond the first read is a needed point of emphasis for Fields to stay “on schedule” and keep his sack totals down, but that is inevitably going to be part of his game that his pro team will have to be ready to live with in the same way it it true for quarterbacks like Deshaun Watson, Russell Wilson and others. Their play can be a double-edged sword at times and so it will be for Fields, who is every bit as physically gifted as those previously mentioned named passers. Fields will need to arrive to a destination that embraces his ability to win with his legs and the QB run game or else run the risk of a bumpy road early on as a starting NFL quarterback; but if he is paired with a head coach or offensive coordinator who can pull the best parts of his college game and implement them in the NFL, Fields has the potential to splash early.”"

Fields fits extremely well in a hybrid or west coast type offense. He uses his ability to run exceptionally well and isn’t afraid to take large hits. While Fields may have less experience than players like Trevor Lawrence, his game should translate nicely to the NFL level.

NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein used Dak Prescott as an NFL comparison to Fields, which is fair. Both players like to use their mobility to escape pressure and make accurate throws under pressure.

Zierlein states:

"“Like Dak Prescott before him, Fields enters the league with dual-threat capabilities but is more of a pocket passer with the ability to extend plays or win with his legs when needed. He was up and down in 2020, but a bounce-back performance against Clemson — including an impressive second half after suffering an injury — said a lot about his toughness and leadership. He sees the field fairly well inside the Buckeyes’ quarterback-friendly offense but needs to become a full-field reader and prevent his eyes from becoming transfixed on primary targets. He sticks open throws with accuracy and velocity thanks to a sturdy platform and good drive mechanics. He’s also comfortable throwing into intermediate holes of a zone. A slower operation time and a lack of a twitchy trigger will require him to work with better anticipation and pressure recognition pre- and post-snap. He takes more sacks than coaches will be comfortable with but he also digs his way out of holes and creates explosive plays. Fields operates with a quiet confidence and has experience overcoming adversity. He should continue to improve and become a solid NFL starter within a couple of seasons.”"

Strengths

According to NFL.com, Fields’ strengths are:

• Toughness/willingness to do what it takes is always on display.
• Never lost a Big Ten game as a starter.
• Vast improvement in 2020 with fumbles per snap.
• Good size with stout lower body to stave off sacks/tackles.
• Lateral footwork to side-step downhill blitzers.
• Usually finds a firm, sturdy passing base beneath him.
• Plenty of zip for long, field-side throws.
• Attention to drive mechanics generates velocity when needed.
• Makes quality reads when deciphering high-low concepts.
• Confident and comfortable throwing into intermediate zone windows.
• Willing to take a big hit to deliver a pass.
• Good command and accuracy on boot action to the right.
• Keeps defenses honest with his legs.
• Picks up tough yards on the ground when team needs it.

Weaknesses

According to NFL.com, Fields’ weaknesses are:

• Needs to improve pocket mobility for clean launch points.
• Below-average feel for edge pressure, running himself into pressure points.
• Field vision is average in face of the blitz.
• Missed open blitz beaters in the middle of the field against Indiana.
• Gradual operation time prevents expedited release.
• Needs to release ball earlier on anticipatory throws.
• Needs to improve eye manipulation as a pro.
• Stagnant eyes invite coverage to the passing party.
• Forces receivers to slow for deep throws.
• Pet spin move as runner got him clocked against Clemson.

It seems that the Bears are going to have a good one in Justin Fields for a long time.