With the NFL draft now approaching for college players, we start the long path to finding out where players will eventually end up. We will get into draft profiles for all of the Buckeyes in the coming weeks, but for now, let’s just try to project where one of them will end up. Justin Fields is going to be the first Buckeye off the board and where he goes is still a little up in the air.
For most of the season, Justin Fields was considered one of the top two quarterbacks in this draft. While Zach Wilson from BYU has certainly put himself into the conversation, Fields will be one of the most sought after quarterbacks in the 2021 draft.
With Urban Meyer now landing in Jacksonville there have been some small rumblings that Justin Fields could head to the Jaguars. While Urban is certainly close with Ohio State, Meyer did not bring Fields to the school. Most draft experts believe that Trevor Lawrence will be the first overall pick.
The next pick in the draft belongs to the New York Jets. The Jets currently have Sam Darnold as their quarterback and new head coach Robert Saleh is a defensive-minded head coach. While the Jets could move toward a new quarterback, I have a feeling they may not draft Fields. It is a possibility, if not then the Dolphins at three are probably going to stick with Tua Tagovailoa.
This all brings us to the Falcons, who just hired former Titans offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. Smith received a lot of kudos for the work he did with Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill. The Falcons have Matt Ryan as their current quarterback and could draft his replacement in this draft. Should they decide to, Fields is the perfect replacement.
🚨 BIG BOARD UPDATE 🚨
1. Trevor Lawrence
2. Zach Wilson
3. Justin Fields
4. Penei Sewell
5. Ja’Marr Chasehttps://t.co/VA9BVnpLN9— PFF College (@PFF_College) January 13, 2021
The real question will be what happens if the Jets, Falcons, Bengals, Eagles, and Lions all decide to keep their current quarterback. Well, the next team that is certainly looking for an upgrade would be the Carolina Panthers at pick eight. Teams that could trade up are the Broncos, Bears, and Patriots.
However, my gut is telling me that Fields does not get past the Falcons should the Jets not grab him. Trades could happen, but the replacement for Matt Ryan is needed in Atlanta and a new young coach could lean the way of a new quarterback to start his tenure. So as of today, my best guess is Fields is heading to Atlanta. This could all change as we get closer to the draft and we will reassess after free agency.