49ers NFL Draft: Top 5 Round 1 targets after blockbuster trade
By Peter Panacy
2. player. 812. . Quarterback. Buckeyes . Justin Fields
No. 2: Quarterback Justin Fields, Ohio State
OK, if we’re being truly honest with ourselves here, San Francisco isn’t going to send off multiple first-round selections to grab a luxury player like Kyle Pitts or an offensive lineman like Penei Sewell when they already have starting-caliber options rostered right now.
Quarterbacks, however, are a different matter.
With Trevor Lawrence off the table, it’s a bit of a tossup between who winds up being the next quarterback selected in Round 1. Many assume the second-drafting New York Jets will select BYU’s Zach Wilson, essentially leaving Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields as the option for the 49ers at No. 3 overall.
That’s perfectly fine.
| Passing | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | School | Conf | Class | Pos | G | Cmp | Att | Pct | Yds | Y/A | AY/A | TD | Int | Rate |
| *2018 | Georgia | SEC | FR | QB | 12 | 27 | 39 | 69.2 | 328 | 8.4 | 10.5 | 4 | 0 | 173.7 |
| *2019 | Ohio State | Big Ten | SO | QB | 14 | 238 | 354 | 67.2 | 3273 | 9.2 | 11.2 | 41 | 3 | 181.4 |
| *2020 | Ohio State | Big Ten | JR | QB | 8 | 158 | 225 | 70.2 | 2100 | 9.3 | 10.1 | 22 | 6 | 175.6 |
| Career | Overall | 423 | 618 | 68.4 | 5701 | 9.2 | 10.7 | 67 | 9 | 178.8 | ||||
| Georgia | 27 | 39 | 69.2 | 328 | 8.4 | 10.5 | 4 | 0 | 173.7 | |||||
| Ohio State | 396 | 579 | 68.4 | 5373 | 9.3 | 10.8 | 63 | 9 | 179.1 |
Provided by CFB at Sports Reference
Generated 3/26/2021.
Fields’ arm strength and playmaking prowess was masked on the national stage in the CFB Playoff Championship against Alabama, as many of his receiving targets didn’t exactly help him out much, and a banged-up offensive line prevented Fields from adequately delivering his passes.
But the tape showed all indications Fields can make pro-level throws and thrive in a system where there are even a modest number of weapons around him.
And with the 49ers beefing up their offensive already this offseason, one can see how Fields would benefit greatly while giving Kyle Shanahan a true dual-threat weapon who can pick up those extra yards on the ground.