2021 NFL Mock Draft: Washington Football Team goes offense in Round 1

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Ohio State QB Justin Fields (via The Columbus Dispatch). /

2. player. 30. . Quarterback. New York Jets. Justin Fields

The draft will truly start with the Jets at the No. 2 pick. The question here will be, will they take a quarterback or stick with Sam Darnold for another year? Early indications are that they will be sticking with Darnold, but that well could be a smokescreen to try to drive up Darnold’s trade value.

You can never trust a team to be honest about their plans at quarterback when things are unsettled, especially when they have a top draft pick. Just think back to Kliff Kingsbury endorsing Josh Rosen as the Cardinals starter and then taking Kyler Murray with the No. 1 overall pick.

With that said, the Jets will have a few months to fall in love with one of the remaining top quarterback prospects at the No. 2 spot and decide if they like him better than Darnold. And considering the talent in this class, it may be hard for them to pass on adding another guy on a rookie deal, especially if they can exchange Darnold for some draft capital.

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If the Jets stay put at two and take a QB, Justin Fields is the favorite to be the pick right now. Fields was a productive two-year starter for Ohio State after transferring from Georgia and last year, he hit on over 70 percent of his passes while playing just eight games for the Buckeyes. He threw for 2,100 yards, 22 touchdowns, and six interceptions en route to a National Championship appearance.

Fields is still a raw prospect. He needs to learn how to read the field better and move off his first read. That said, he has the tools needed to be a great quarterback at the next level. He has a great arm, top-notch mobility, and at his peak, he dominates games.

Fields had as many touchdown passes as incompletions (six each) in an upset win over Clemson in the College Football Playoff. In that game, he showed amazing downfield accuracy and a great rhythm in command of the Ohio State offense. He also showed off his toughness, as he played through a hip injury that left him hobbled, but he was still able to make the big plays needed to win.

It may take some time for Fields to develop at the next level, but the Jets can afford to wait and have new offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur coach him up a bit. Pairing him long-term with the likes of Jamison Crowder, Denzel Mims, and franchise left tackle Mekhi Becton would give the Jets a lot of athleticism in their offense and would raise their ceiling a great deal. For that reason, Fields will be the pick here for now.

If the Jets aren’t interested in Fields, Zach Wilson is the other quarterback to watch here. The team could also take a player like Penei Sewell, DeVonta Smith, or Ja’Marr Chase and could consider trading down to get one of them. There will be more clarity on the Jets’ plans in the not-so-distant future, especially depending on how the Deshaun Watson sweepstakes go.

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