Justin Fields is a Special Quarterback Prospect (All-22)
The 2020 college football season has been one of the most frantic of all-time, as some teams haven’t had a season while others have 10 games under their belt. Each conference is in a different position, with the Big 10 somewhere in-between either spectrum. For conference favorite Ohio State, they’ve only played four games through the end of November.
Despite the lack of games, Ohio State still find themselves within the top 4 of the college football playoff rankings. Ohio State will have two more games to prove themselves, assuming they don’t get cancelled, and they’ll likely need to play both in order to qualify for the Big 10 Championship game.
While they’ve only played four games, Buckeyes quarterback Justin Fields has looked the part. After being a Heisman finalist last season, Fields entered this year as one of the favorites to win the award and be drafted within the top 3 picks of the NFL Draft.
Fields may not play enough to become a competitive candidate for the Heisman, but he has undoubtedly looked like the future high pick that many anticipated.
Through 4 games, Fields is completing 79.6% of his passes, has at least 276 passing yards in each game, and has tossed 13 touchdown passes to 3 interceptions. His worst passing game came in the Buckeyes most recent game against Indiana, but Fields made up for it by chipping in 78 rushing yards and a touchdown in a win.
Fields’ college career includes some impressive statistics (58 passing touchdowns to just 6 interceptions), and his film matches up to that production. Let’s get into the All-22 tape of his first three games this season.
ARM TALENT
Let’s start with everyone’s favorite buzzword when talking quarterback play: “arm talent.” As far as my definition of it goes, arm talent really refers to a quarterback’s ability to make all of the required throws from various footings, or “platforms.” When a quarterback is able to detach their lower and upper body but still get the football where they want, their ability to create splash plays exponentially increases.
For Justin Fields, he has the arm strength to make “bucket” throws, or place the ball deep down the field right in the receiver’s breadbasket.
Most of those throws came from a clean pocket, but that isn’t a necessity for Fields to be successful. He’s equally as accurate on the move, being able to throw from multiple platforms while maintaining velocity and ball placement. He has a natural stroke while throwing on the run.
EXTEND THE PLAY
For the majority of quarterbacks prospects, especially those blessed with Fields’ athleticism, they can get in the habit of dropping their eyes once the pass rush closes on them. Many quarterbacks in college will immediately look for escape or running lanes rather than continue to scan the field for a receiver, which can limit big plays.
Extending the play usually results in coverage breakdowns or a receiver eventually uncovering, which is why quarterbacks are taught to evade pressure without immediately turning into runners.
Fields has an unique ability to extend plays both within the pocket and by breaking contain. When he senses pressure, he’s sudden enough to avoid the defender but savvy enough to keep his eyes on his receivers. On top of that, Fields has shown a few nifty moves that set up pass rushers and allow him to get on the edge once they miss the tackle.
READING COVERAGE / PROGRESSION
One knock on Fields during his first year as a starter was getting locked on to his first read, as he rarely had to go through entire progressions in the pocket. That is something that was clearly a point of emphasis for Fields this offseason, and the way he’s working the entire field and manipulating coverage has taken a step forward.
He’s had reps where his pocket movement and pump-fakes have caused safeties to over-commit and allowed Fields to drop bombs behind them.
On top of that, he’s showed the ability to work from one side of the field to the next, put underneath zone players in conflict and deliver on tight windows. Fields gets to his third read on this rep:
Fields has a better feel for the body language and depth of defensive backs this season. He’s made multiple throws based on the position and momentum of players in coverage, understanding how the route combination will affect them and when receivers are coming open.
NFL THROWS
One thing that sticks out about Fields is his efficiency (over 70% completion on more than 500 passes), but that is the result of his ability to make multiple throws. To put it in baseball terms, Fields has a fastball, but also possesses a change-up and a few other off-speed pitches.
You’ve seen the deep ball and the throws from different platforms. On top of those, Fields can throw with trajectory and touch in the redzone. He can drive it through tight windows, reach a deep-out route from the far hash, be accurate and on time on slant routes, and anticipate zone openings to throw crossing routes.
WHERE TO IMPROVE
With any quarterback prospect, there are aspects that Fields still needs to develop. One that sticks out is his mechanics while under-center, but especially on play-action passes. This has become a more common issue for quarterback prospects entering the NFL, and Fields will need extra reps to correct this.
It’s important to remember when comparing prospects that Fields only has about half as many dropbacks in college as counterpart Trevor Lawrence. Fields will have issues with his “internal clock,” meaning he won’t trigger to throw the ball and will stand in the pocket for too long.
These issues have come and gone this season, but the end result of a few reps has been bone-jarring hits. Fields will need a transition period to catch up to the speed of the NFL pass rush. Most quarterback prospects experience this transition, but it might be elongated for Fields because he’ll likely enter the league with only about 600 pass attempts in college.
CONCLUSION
There has been a perception around Justin Fields that he is the “consolation prize” of the NFL Draft, as Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence has been the presumed #1 overall pick. That idea is so wildly off-base, as Fields is a better prospect than the typical top quarterback by a noticeable margin.
Fields has few weaknesses, but the athletic traits and arm to suggest the ceiling of a perennial elite quarterback in the NFL. The team that drafts him will be the ultimate winner of the NFL Draft, as they’ll be selecting a more impactful prospect at the slot than is normally available.