JUSTIN FIELDS: SCOUTING REPORT. EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW.

Reading Time: 4 minutes.

NEXT ON OUR SCOUTING REPORTS IS JUSTIN FIELDS. CHECK OUT SOME OF OUR OTHER SCOUTING REPORTS BELOW.

TREVOR LAWRENCE	TREY LANCE	ZACH WILSON
PENEI SEWELL	JA’MARR CHASE	RASHOD BATEMAN

BACKGROUND

Justin Fields is a top prospect. He is a talent that has all the tools to make it at the next level. 

Although it has not been officially announced, it is fully expected Fields will declare for the 2021 NFL Draft. 

Fields has shown he can be a leader off the gridiron as well as on it. Fields fought hard to get the BIG 10 conference back playing ball this fall in a safe and secure manner. 

Born in Atlanta, Georgia, Fields attended Harrison High School in Kennesaw. Fields high school career saw him become a 5 star recruit and was documented by the Netflix documentary QB1: Behind the Lights.

Justin Fields started his college career with Georgia, playing backup to Jake Fromm. In 2019 he decided to enter the transfer portal and set his sights on moving to Columbus to play for Ohio State. 

At Ohio State Fields has shown immense promise. He led the Buckeyes to the Big Ten Championship and a College Football Playoff semi-final.

Fields was also a Heisman Trophy finalist in 2019 where he went on to win the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year and the Quarterback of the Year.

Fields is a duel-treat quarterback who is being talked about at the top of the 2021 NFL Draft. He offers great arm strength, speed and natural playmaking ability which will likely see his name called early next spring. 

See the video below which illustrates Fields ability to be an elusive runner while having a cannon of an arm. 

STRENGTHS

• Natural Playmaker
• A Future Franchise QB
• Effortless
• A Gunslinger
• Has All the Tools
• Elusive as a Runner
• Composed

Justin Fields has the size and arm strength to be a future franchise quarterback. 

Fields plays with rhythm and makes the game look effortless. He has a great throwing technique which produces great zip and velocity. He has a quick release and is a gunslinger with phenomenal arm strength which produces an exceptional deep ball. 

Once the ball has been snapped, Fields plays with awareness and anticipation. The balls he throws are catchable and he is accurate while on the move. When the play breaks down, Fields is composed and can use his feet when recognising pressure.

What makes Fields different is his mobility. He is able to evade pressure and get the ball out quickly. Fields is also rapidly quick and he has put on record he can run a 4.40s at the 40 yard dash.

This means he is gifted and intelligent as a runner. A real duel threat. Fields has the speed to beat defenders and has great balance through contact. He will keep defenders second guessing and is following the mold of modern NFL quarterbacks. 

Fields has the ability to keep up with the pace of an NFL game and he has mastered the RPO/Read option concepts that are being used more and more often by NFL offences. NFL defences will have to compensate for Fields’ running ability. Being able to be elusive in space when on the run and being sharp while in the pocket, defenders will be kept second guessing. 

WEAKNESSES

• Needs to Read Defences Better
• Decision Making
• Can Force Plays
• Ball Placement

Fields can force throws under pressure. He prefers to throw the ball downfield rather than take the sack. His decision making needs to improve as there are many times on film where you scream for Fields to just throw the ball out of bounds.

Fields can throw the ball into tight coverages and has been guilty of making aggressive decisions. He can be too eager to force the play and take risks. If not tightened up it will only lead to interceptions in the NFL.

Despite Fields throwing a catchable ball, he is accurate but not precise. He has overthrown some deep balls, even though he has the arm strength to make them. 

Due to the system at Ohio State, the offensive structure doesn’t allow Fields to run a variety of NFL passing concepts. The Buckeyes play a simplistic offence, where Fields reads the first option and if the pass isn’t there he takes off on the run. 

It means Fields can lock on to his first read and miss open receivers downfield because he hasn’t gone through his progressions.

It may be a concern for NFL teams as they have seen players recently, such as Dwayne Haskins, come from this scheme and it then not translate into results at the next level.

Being able to improve his pre-snap reads, being able to spot blitzes and diagnose the defence structure will only help Fields. He does not have a tremendous amount of experience so that should come with time. 

The talent is easy to spot, but we would like him to be tested more. The offensive system is straightforward and having him go through progressions, making him read different concepts will only improve his transition to the NFL. 

SUMMARY

Justin Fields will be a starter in the NFL. He is a future franchise quarterback at the next  level. 

Fields is not the finished product. However, He has all the tools and size to be successful. Currently, he is a system quarterback who is producing, but teams will be happy they can teach him how to read NFL defences.

Justin Fields and Trevor Lawrence have been joined at the hip since high school, battling it out to be the top prospect. Although this time, Fields has a way to go to topple Lawrence at the top of the rankings.

If Fields keeps up his trajectory he is a sure fire top pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.

DRAFT PROJECTION: TOP 5

How good of a prospect is Justin Fields? Let us know over on Twitter @NinetynineYards and @Owain_Jones_