5 prospects who could fall to the Vikings in the 2021 NFL Draft
By Nik Edlund
Justin Fields – QB (Ohio State)
A few weeks ago, thinking Justin Fields could fall all the way to pick No. 14 seemed like a pipe dream. While it still remains very unlikely to happen, if one quarterback does fall down the board, it’s probably going to be Fields.
For whatever reason, Fields has been getting a bunch of negative press lately. Maybe it’s just teams starting rumors to get him to fall to them, but as the draft approaches, Fields has been scrutinized and criticized far more than any other quarterback prospect.
There have been questions raised about his desire to win, his throwing motion, and him only throwing to his first read. All of these concerns have been proven false, yet it feels like Fields could be in for a draft day tumble.
This might be how a Fields tumble could happen. Lawrence and Wilson go one and two as expected, the San Francisco 49ers would then take Mac Jones, and the Falcons would go with Kyle Pitts instead of a quarterback. The Detroit Lions would then have to go with a receiver over Fields and the Panthers are no longer in the quarterback market after trading for Sam Darnold.
The Denver Broncos could choose Trey Lance instead, and the Cowboys, New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles, and Chargers aren’t expected to take a quarterback. So the only thing that might prevent Fields from making it to pick No. 14 would be a team trading up to snipe him.
Fields would be a huge score for the Vikings. He has a very strong arm and he can make all the NFL throws. He can also make plays with his legs and has the grit, determination, and fight to will his team back into games.
Minnesota would also have the benefit of not rushing him onto the field as he could learn behind Kirk Cousins for a season or two before taking over for the long term.