Justin Fields was reportedly ranked as the best quarterback on the board by a quarter of NFL teams

According to the NFL Network, Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields was the best QB in the draft by at least a quarter of team scouts.

We’re still left wondering how Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields’ perception as one of the top two or three signal-callers in the draft took a hit through the end of the season on through to the 2021 NFL draft.

I mean, the tape, skill set, arm, and intangibles appeared to all be there. Still, despite all of that, off the board went Trevor Lawrence (OK, we can live with that), then BYU’s Zach Wilson, and North Dakota State’s Trey Lance. Then, finally Fields was selected when the Chicago Bears traded up to get him at No. 11, the fourth quarterback taken.

There are, of course, questions about every quarterback in the draft, but for some reason Fields’ shortcomings were magnified, amplified, and stupefied. As a result, the narratives seemed to scare some of the NFL brass away as if there was something there they didn’t see.

And now this to add to the intrigue. According to Cynthia Frelund of NFL.com, about a quarter of the scouts actually had Fields as the No. 1 quarterback in the draft, ahead of even Lawrence. Frelund said she talked to about 16 team scouts, and at least half of them had him as QB1.

Well then.

You have to really wonder where this thing went off the rails. Clearly a lot of the picks have to do with what order teams are picking, the offensive scheme, and the need, but it will forever be mindboggling to try and understand why Fields fell as far as he did when he was thought of so highly by scouts.

You can listen to Frelund break it all down in her own words thanks to video from the NFL Network.

It may be perplexing now, but it’ll be even more so if Fields gets his opportunity with the Bears and becomes a superstar in the league. Here’s to hoping that’s exactly what happens.