Even though Mel Kiper Jr. is confident Justin Fields will be a talented NFL quarterback, the ESPN analyst doesn’t believe the former Ohio State star will be selected ahead of players like Zach Wilson, Mac Jones and Trey Lance.

Kiper released his NFL Mock Draft 4.0, complete with his projections for the first two rounds of the event. Fields is currently projected to be the No. 10 pick in the first round, taken by the New England Patriots via trade.

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Here’s why Kiper says Fields will be the fifth quarterback taken in this year’s draft:

This makes five quarterbacks in the top 10, with Bill Belichick & Co. making the move up for Fields, my second-ranked quarterback. All the moves the Patriots made in free agency showed me that they believe they can get right back into competing for the AFC East title, but I don’t think Cam Newton is the quarterback to get them there. He had too many accuracy issues last season. He’s not the long-term answer. Fields had an up-and-down 2020 season, but he can be a star if he becomes more consistent. And I trust that offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels will get him there.

Despite having two really strong seasons at Ohio State, a great pro day and an incredibly high ceiling, Fields continues to be criticized harshly for lackluster performances against Indiana and Northwestern.

Kiper has Trevor Lawrence, Wilson and Jones being selected with the first three picks in the draft and Lance going No. 6.