Getty Justin Fields of the Ohio State Buckeyes
If they so choose, the Dallas Cowboys can replace Dak Prescott with a “more electric and dynamic version” of the two-time Pro Bowl quarterback.
That is how NFL Network analyst Bucky Brooks classified Ohio State QB Justin Fields, a presumptive first-round choice — and potential top-ten pick — in April’s NFL draft.
“He is in contention to be the second guy [off the board after Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence] because he has outstanding talent,” Brooks said Monday. “The kind of talent you talk about when you talk about Josh Allen and other guys in that category. He’s a big, physical playmaker, a guy who lit it up when he had an opportunity to play in the semifinals against Clemson.
“I want you to think about a more electric and dynamic version of Dak Prescott. He has all of those things — great leadership ability, great athleticism. He is going to be a guy who has an opportunity to be a superstar in this league. He is a guy that we can talk about in years being a top-five quarterback.”
Brooks’ colleague, NFL Network draft expert Daniel Jeremiah, slotted Fields to the Detroit Lions at No. 7 overall in his latest mock exercise, published Jan. 22.
“Detroit is expected to be in the QB market following the news that the team plans to begin trade discussions for Matthew Stafford,” Jeremiah wrote. “It would be a gift for Fields to fall to the Lions with the seventh pick, but the board works their way in this scenario.”
Jeremiah, meanwhile, projects the Cowboys selecting Alabama cornerback Patrick Surtain II with the No. 10 selection.
“The Cowboys still need to upgrade the secondary. Surtain will reunite with former Alabama teammate Trevon Diggs to give Dallas a promising young tandem at cornerback,” he wrote.
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Scouting Report
Fields, who transferred to Columbus following a freshman stint at Georgia, was a two-year starter for the Buckeyes, completing 357 of 518 attempts (68.9%) for 4,794 yards, 56 touchdowns, and eight interceptions. His 41-TD 2019 breakout earned him a slew of honors: Heisman Trophy finalist, Offensive Player of the Year, Quarterback of the Year, and Big Ten Champion. He took home the latter three awards in 2020, as well.
At 6-foot-3, 228 pounds, Fields wins with his elite arm talent and impressive athleticism and has drawn comparisons ranging from Prescott to Deshaun Watson to Cam Newton. He’s considered a cornerstone talent, perhaps with higher day-one value than his counterparts, BYU’s Zach Wilson and North Dakota State’s Trey Lance.
“Fields will need to arrive to a destination that embraces his ability to win with his legs and the QB run game or else run the risk of a bumpy road early on as a starting NFL quarterback; but if he is paired with a head coach or offensive coordinator who can pull the best parts of his college game and implement them in the NFL, Fields has the potential to splash early,” The Draft Network’s Kyle Crabb’s wrote.
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Latest Dak Contract Prediction
Despite ever-present trade and draft rumors concerning the sport’s most important position, the Cowboys are infinitely likelier to sign Prescott than secure his successor this offseason.
As such, Bleacher Report columnist Brad Gagnon forecasted a long-term agreement between the sides: four years, $146 million ($36.5 million APY) and $100 million guaranteed.
Earlier this month, sports analytics giant Pro Football Focus estimated that Dallas will sign Prescott, an impending unrestricted free agent, to a four-year, $158 million contract ($39.5 million annually) with $115 million in total guarantees.
Going off the first prediction, at $36.5M annually, Prescott would become the league’s third-highest-paid passer behind Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes ($45M APY) and Watson ($39M). The hypothetical guaranteed money would rank sixth-most, tied with Atlanta’s Matt Ryan.
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Follow Zack Kelberman on Twitter: @KelbermanNFL