The 2021 NFL Draft is just a few days away. There’s expected to be several quarterbacks taken early in the first round, including Ohio State Buckeyes signal-caller Justin Fields.
Over the course of the last several months, Fields’ draft stock has fluctuated. For the longest time, he, Trevor Lawrence and Zach Wilson were held as the top three quarterbacks of this draft class. However, things changed, other players began to rise up, leading to some wondering just where Fields would go.
There’s no doubt that he has the potential to be a solid NFL quarterback one day. Fields is entering the 2021 NFL Draft having spent two years with the Buckeyes, throwing 5,373 passing yards for 63 touchdowns to 9 interceptions. He also happens to be talented at running the ball, recording 867 yards and 15 touchdowns on the ground too.
According to Bovada, it’s looking like Fields will end up with the San Francisco 49ers at No. 3. The odds of that happened are +270. The 49ers are on the lookout for a new quarterback after their current starter, Jimmy Garoppolo, has missed a lot of time due to injury over the last several seasons. Most recent reports have the 49ers targeting North Dakota State’s Trey Lance or Alabama’s Mac Jones at the 2021 NFL Draft, so having the odds pointing to them selecting Fields is surprising.
2021 NFL Draft: Which Team Will Draft Justin Fields?
Odds via Bovada as of Monday, April 26
- San Francisco 49ers (+270)
- Atlanta Falcons (+400)
- Denver Broncos (+500)
- Detroit Lions (+500)
- New England Patriots (+750)
Complete odds list available at Bovada.lv.
Could the Falcons Select Fields 4th Overall?
If the 49ers opt to go with Jones or Lance, the Atlanta Falcons (+400) could be poised to draft Fields one pick later at No. 4. The team is coming off of another disappointing season where they missed the playoffs for the third straight year. Matt Ryan is still their top quarterback, but he’s in his mid-30s and beyond his prime, which means they should start looking for his successor at the 2021 NFL Draft.
A lot of mock drafts have the Falcons taking Florida Gators tight end Kyle Pitts 4th overall because of the team’s love for tight ends. However, if they think they won’t have a shot at drafting a quarterback of Fields’ caliber for quite some time, they may act on it now. Either way, the Falcons’ draft situation is worth monitoring.
2021 NFL Draft: Will Fields Fall to the Lions or Broncos?
Drafts can often be unpredictable. A player who was expected to be taken in the top-5 could fall all the way to the middle of the first round. While the odds aren’t looking like he’ll far that far back, there’s the chance that Fields could fall to the Detroit Lions (No. 7) or Denver Broncos (No. 9) at +500 odds.
The Lions just swapped quarterbacks with the Los Angeles Rams this offseason, trading Matthew Stafford for Jared Goff and some picks. Goff hasn’t started a game yet for the team, but the Lions may be convinced that he’s not their future quarterback. They could wind up drafting Fields and having him learn from Goff until he’s ready to take over.
On the other hand, the Broncos could also draft Fields at No. 9. Drew Lock just isn’t cutting it as the team’s signal-caller. If they want to have NFL success, the Broncos need to take a quarterback at the 2021 NFL Draft. There’s also the possibility that, if they like him enough, they could trade up with a team like the Falcons or Cincinnati Bengals to draft Fields before the Lions can.
