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NFL Network analyst believes Detroit Lions could still select Justin Fields
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When the Detroit Lions traded Matthew Stafford and got Jared Goff in return, it seemed to eliminate the thought the franchise would select a quarterback in the first round of the NFL Draft. But at least one analyst doesn’t believe that’s necessarily the case.
NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah recently suggested that the Lions could still entertain the idea of selecting Fields with the No. 7 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. He believes the former Ohio State star gives Detroit a “higher ceiling” than Goff.
“When they traded Matthew Stafford, it wasn’t a straight-up trade there for Jared Goff, they got a couple picks in there, some valuable picks for the future,” Jeremiah said, per 247Sports. “This is a new head coach, a new general manager starting off with long-term contracts so they can afford to make the long-term play here. And when I look at the two players, to me Jared Goff is a very solid player, he’s a quality starter, obviously, he’s played in the Super Bowl.
“But Justin Fields offers more upside. When I think of a guy like John Dorsey in the personnel department there for the Detroit Lions, who was in Green Bay when they went and got Aaron Rodgers even though they had Brett Favre, he was in Kansas City when they got Patrick Mahomes even though they had a winning quarterback in Alex Smith – you’re always chasing the ceiling and to me, Justin Fields gives the Lions a higher ceiling.”
Fields has been one of the most talked about players in this year’s draft. Some still consider him to be the No. 2 quarterback in the class, behind Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence. Others think Zach Wilson (BYU), Mac Jones (Alabama) and Trey Lance (North Dakota State) might be better options than the former Buckeye.
So there isn’t much of a consensus on where Fields will fall later this month. But Jeremiah doesn’t think Detroit should be ruled out as a potential landing spot — at least not yet.
Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB