Justin Fields ready to differentiate himself from past Ohio State quarterbacks
Ohio State has not produced NFL caliber quarterbacks, but Justin Fields doesn't see an apt comparison to his Buckeye predecessors.
For whatever the reason-their system’s transferability to the NFL, a player’s work ethic etc.-Ohio State has not produced NFL-caliber quarterbacks. Some (Terrelle Pryor, Braxton Miller) have had to switch to wide receiver at the next level.
The failure of Dwayne Haskins, who lasted less than two seasons in Washington after being drafted 15th overall in 2019, has followed Justin Fields into his pre-draft process. But that’s a lazy narrative, as Fields is a different talent than Haskins. And to have him tell it, that’s not all that separates him from Haskins or any other fairly recent Ohio State quarterback who has entered the NFL.
Via Nicky Jhabvala of the Washington Post:
Fields had an impressive Pro Day on Tuesday, with a 4.44 40-yard dash (at nearly 6-foot-3, 227 pounds) and some impressive throws. In two seasons (22 games) at Ohio State he completed 68 percent of his passes with 63 touchdowns and nine interceptions, along with a total of 867 rushing yards and 15 scores on the ground. He was Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year both years, with a third-place finish in 2019 Heisman voting.
Fields could be the target for the San Francisco 49ers with their trade up to No. 3 overall. In any case, he seems sure to not fall out of the top-10 now. Fields is ready to chart his own course among the quarterback failures out of his alma mater.