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The Bears swung for the fences by trading up to the No. 11 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, and they very well may have hit a home run by selecting Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields.
A two-time All-Big Ten quarterback and a two-year starter with a 20-2 record in his collegiate career, Fields was widely considered to be one of the best overall prospects in this year’s draft. His fall outside of the top 10 was widely considered to be a surprise, and when Chicago gave up a 2022 first-rounder and more to move up nine spots, it was pretty obvious what direction the team was going in.
Fields is a strong-armed, accurate and athletic quarterback with an incredible collegiate resume and a high ceiling at the next level. Not only is he safer than a prospect like Trey Lance, but he arguably has as much potential as any quarterback in the 2021 class.
To give you all a quick breakdown of what to expect from the Bears’ new quarterback, I put together a thread of Fields’ strengths on Twitter.
THREAD: My dream came true. Justin Fields is the pick for the #Bears at No. 11.
— Jacob Infante (@jacobinfante24) April 30, 2021
Fields has an incredible sense of timing and velocity behind his throws. His pure arm talent allows him to consistently hit receivers in stride. #Bears pic.twitter.com/uKuEJXIauG
— Jacob Infante (@jacobinfante24) April 30, 2021
Fields’ arm strength allows him to stretch the field vertically and deliver throws out of defenders’ reach. His pure arm talent is one of the best in this class. #Bears pic.twitter.com/F6Sk65pBBq
— Jacob Infante (@jacobinfante24) April 30, 2021
Fields is also an incredible athlete for the quarterback position. A true dual-threat, he has been timed in the 4.4 range and has fantastic open-field speed and vision as a ball-carrier. #Bears pic.twitter.com/jpIUGYco3r
— Jacob Infante (@jacobinfante24) April 30, 2021
There’s a narrative that Fields can’t look past his first read, but that’s just not true. He is an intelligent quarterback who can go through progressions and has excelled past his first option. #Bears pic.twitter.com/JAnxdHffKX
— Jacob Infante (@jacobinfante24) April 30, 2021
Bottom line, Justin Fields is an incredible talent at the most important in football who shouldn’t have fallen as far as he did.
— Jacob Infante (@jacobinfante24) April 30, 2021
The #Bears got an absolute steal and secured a guy that could very well be their franchise QB.
For more on the Justin Fields selection, give Robert Schmitz a listen on his Bear With Me podcast as he’s joined by Jacob Infante, EJ Snyder, and Danny Meehan to break down the pick.