Justin Fields: A saviour or a future bust?

The Ohio State University has done it again!

They have given the NFL yet another Round 1 pick on Draft night in the quick footed Justin Fields. The Chicago Bears traded up to take their quarterback of the future at No. 11 on the first night of the 2021 NFL Draft.

The only question that remains surrounds the team that selected the Heisman finalist and their ability to build on a players college success.

As for college success, Fields has had that in spades as he was picked as a two time All-Big Ten quarterback, 2019 Big Ten Championship MVP and several other accolades including a Heisman Finalist but will that transform into a massive NFL career or be left in a pile of dust at Soldier Field.

The Bears have a history of failing quarterbacks going all the way back to the 80s but most recently they have a huge problem with mobile quarterbacks as well noted with former college stand out Mitchell Trubisky.

Trubisky was picked second overall in 2017 (ahead of Watson and Mahomes might I add) and has some very similar stats to Fields. His 40 times are close with Fields being slightly faster and both had spectacular careers the year before going pro.

The major differences are the programs they are from with Trubisky being from N.C. and Fields hailing from The Ohio State.

These two football programs are well respected but not everything in collegiate sports translates well. The Ohio State has sent three quarterbacks in the past ten years with only one being in the first round.

These quarterbacks have been more than a little rough to watch with a combined 21 touchdown’s to 27 Interceptions and not much more on the ground while N.C. has produced two with one being a first round bust in Trubisky.

The other aspect you need to factor in is the defences these two came from.

N.C. has a ho hum defence while The Ohio State boasts a stingy defence that keeps points off the board. I know both of these guys play offense but playing from a lead is a lot more fun and relaxed than constantly needing to score to stay in a game.

This can lead to more downfield throws to waste and more room to run amok when losing a down doesn’t make that much of a difference.

Playing from a lead also lets you run the ball more with creative play calling. The NFL saw a huge change in the Bears offense when Trubisky was asked to stay in the pocket for most of the 2020 season games he played in taking away his mobility.

If this happens to Fields will he still be able to produce wins or will he be the latest in a long line of Bears quarterbacks that fall flat. Time will tell.