The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Quarterback Fields wows NFL scouts at Ohio State’s pro day
It was all part of the plan. Justin Fields took a quick step to his right, flipped his hips and suddenly started to roll to the other side of a would-be formation. As Fields continued to drift to his left, he launched a pass with a tight spiral destined to travel roughly 65 yards into the air. As receiver C.J. Saunders tracked the ball underneath, the vocal rumblings grew from whispers into an applause.
The pass hit Saunders in stride, giving Fields the moment he hoped for heading into his final opportunity to impress NFL personnel with his talent.
This pass, thrown against air and without defenders, was part of a play script crafted well before Tuesday. Much like BYU quarterback Zach Wilson a week ago, Fields planned for that wow-factor moment, which was what he was striving for on that particular throw.
“We were showing them me escaping the pocket and getting my hips turned,” Fields said. “It was one of my top throws of the day. C.J. is a great receiver, a great person all in all, a great leader and a guy you want on your team and a guy you want to be around. Of course I think that was one of my best throws of the day.”
Leading into Tuesday’s pro day, Fields, along with Wilson, trained with former BYU and NFL quarterback John Beck. Beck led Fields’ portion of pro day and was responsible for preparing him for the play.
Fields and Wilson are among the top four quarterbacks in this year’s draft class, with both capable of being selected in the first five picks. In what is regarded as one of the most quarterback-rich groups in recent NFL history, Fields, a Kennesaw native who played high school football at Harrison, used pro day as a means to potentially separate himself from the other top-tier quarterbacks not named Trevor Lawrence, the expected top overall pick.
In addition to his impressive outing throwing the ball, Fields showed off how fast he is by clocking a time of 4.44 seconds in the 40-yard dash. To put this time in perspective, the only quarterback to run a faster time at the NFL scouting combine was Robert Griffin III, who ran the 40 in 4.41 seconds. No combine was held this year because of the pandemic.
The Falcons sent an impressive group to Ohio State’s campus to see the Peach State product work out, with general manager Terry Fontenot, coach Arthur Smith and offensive coordinator Dave Ragone making the trip. With Fontenot preferring a best player available strategy in the draft, Fields could be an option for the Falcons since they hold the fourth overall pick.
Since the draft process began, the greatest criticism levied on Fields has been that he doesn’t move through his reads at a level suited for the NFL. With his pro day outing, Fields hopes to have put those concerns to rest, even if his critics aren’t the main source of his motivation.
“My drive, my wanting to be great, my willingness to be great comes from inside,” Fields said.