2021 NFL Mock Draft: Bears trade into top 10, Washington Football Team goes offense
Quarterback. Atlanta Falcons. Justin Fields. 4. player. 44.
With Justin Fields on the board, the Falcons are going to have a decision to make. Do they go with one of the two most talented players in this year’s draft class in Kyle Pitts or Penei Sewell, or do they take Fields as the successor for Matt Ryan?
In this scenario, we’re giving Fields to the Falcons for a couple of reasons. First of all, Fields could be a steal here. By the estimation of many, he’s the second-best quarterback prospect in this draft. For some reason, the hype has cooled a bit surrounding him, but when looking at his skill set, Fields has star potential.
Fields has a great combination of arm strength, arm talent, and athleticism. He’s extremely mobile and can launch the ball downfield with ease. He showed off his cannon of an arm at his Pro Day, and that drew some attention, but his skills show up on the field as well.
For Ohio State last year, Fields was very good. He struggled at times against Indiana and Northwestern, but he also put together performances like the one he had against Clemson. In that outing, he threw as many TDs as incompletions (6) and toughed through a rib injury to play the best game of his career and get the Buckeyes to the National Championship Game.
Fields is tough. He has the skills needed to succeed at the next level. While Ohio State QBs haven’t done well at the NFL level in recent years, you have to scout the player and not the helmet. Fields has the traits and body of work needed to be a top-five pick. With the Falcons, he could live up to his potential early in his career.
The best thing about landing in Atlanta is that Fields would get to learn from Ryan for a year and then battle for the starting job in 2022. He also would be surrounded by a good receiving corps that the Falcons could continue to bolster in this draft class.
Also, it doesn’t hurt that Fields is a local kid, born and raised in Kennesaw, Georgia. That could be an added bonus for the Falcons if they already like his skills enough.
Trey Lance could also be a QB option here for the Falcons if he manages to make it past the 49ers. Don’t rule out Atlanta going with a QB either way. It’s not a guarantee, but this seems like a great time for them to land their quarterback of the future.