Funny how quickly a prospect’s stock can fall when it comes to the NFL draft. Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields was pushing for the No. 1 overall pick before the season, held true to that through the first few games of the year, then showed some warts in games against Indiana and Northwestern. He picked things back up again against Clemson in the Sugar Bowl, then played through injury, looking less than himself against Alabama in the national championship game.
That brings to where we are today. Because of some questions with his decision making in a couple of games this year during a small population of film, many mock NFL drafts have Fields falling a bit. He’s still expected to go high because of his ceiling and the fact that quarterbacks are coveted more than any other position, but the decline in perception appears to be real.
The latest comes from ESPN’s Todd McShay who just released a new mock NFL draft (subscription required), and it’s a little surprising. He not only has Justin Fields being supplanted by Zach Wilson of BYU, but he also has North Dakota State quarterback Trey Lance being selected ahead of Fields. That means the former Heisman finalist is fourth in the pecking order according to McShay, who generally knows what he’s talking about.
Now, before you get too upset, McShay evidently believes there will be a run on quarterbacks to start things out, and has the first few picks all resulting in a signal-caller’s name being called.
So where does the ESPN draft expert have Fields going, and at what pick? Well, we’re glad you asked.