Patriots: Justin Fields wouldn’t have fallen to Pats even without Bears trade
By Mike Luciano
The New England Patriots did end up with a potential franchise quarterback in the 2021 NFL Draft when they selected Alabama gunslinger Mac Jones No. 15 overall.
That pick came with just a tinge of disappointment, however, as they just missed out on a potentially better prospect in Ohio State’s Justin Fields.
Jones set some SEC records and led the undefeated Crimson Tide to a national championship over the Buckeyes, but Fields was regarded as the better draft pick because of his superior arm talent, terrific athletic ability, and increased experience as a starter in college.
Fields ended up going to the Chicago Bears, who traded up with the New York Giants to move from No. 20 to No. 11 and snag their potential 10-year starter. While Patriots fans had to be kicking themselves after Chicago ended Fields’ slide, it turns out he wouldn’t have made it to New England anyway.
The Minnesota Vikings, who were picking No. 14 in the draft, were going to take Fields if he fell to them, per ESPN’s Courtney Cronin.
The Vikings ended up trading with the New York Jets, who took guard Alijah Vera-Tucker in the same spot, while selecting Texas A&M quarterback and Patriots target Kellen Mond early in the third round.
The Vikings were eyeing Justin Fields and the way the board was falling, they thought they were going to have him. A look at how a move that would’ve altered the course at QB played out and how Minnesota changed course w/ Kellen Mond. https://t.co/RIup59Hm4f
— Courtney Cronin (@CourtneyRCronin) May 3, 2021
Justin Fields wasn’t going to slide to the Patriots. Sorry.
Fields shouldn’t have even been there at No. 11, as his pre-draft process was seemingly mired in some bogus narratives that don’t match up with the explosive plays he showed off on film. Still, he ended up gone before Jones, and there is a chance that this could be the best move for New England.
Bill Belichick and Josh McDaniels clearly went overboard trying to make Cam Newton’s ability to run the football a staple of their offense, and the passing game suffered as a result. Rather than trying to put Fields back in that same role, reverting to a player in Jones that is normally confined to the pocket could bring McDaniels back to his comfort zone.
Jones is extremely accurate to all levels of the field, has a better arm than people give him credit for, and sliced up a Buckeye defense full of current and future pro draft picks. That’s not a bad consolation prize.
Fields has the higher ceiling, but Jones might be able to end up as a starter quicker in New England than Fields will in Chicago. Patriots fans might not like to see Fields in orange and navy blue, but getting Jones could make those thoughts ebb away.
