Over the past few months, the coronavirus has compelled many sports leagues around the world to rethink their operating policies. In the United States, the NFL and the NCAA have had to come up with strict guidelines regarding the upcoming 2020-football season. Despite the uncertainty surrounding the season, some NFL teams have ramped up their scouting operations ahead of next year’s draft. Even though teams are yet to determine their draft positions by playing out the regular season, analysts have prepared mock drafts projecting the landing destinations of some talented college prospects.

One player expected to be an early first-round pick is Ohio State quarterback, Justin Fields.

Justin Fields's record

Fields has had an outstanding career since joining the Buckeyes. The 6-foot-3, 228-pound quarterback led his team to a 13-1 record last season. Fields threw for 3,273 yards and 41 touchdowns and completed 67 percent of his passes. After proving himself at the college level, Fields has attracted the attention of several NFL teams, and many analysts expect him to be a high draft pick in next year’s draft. In the latest mock draft released by Sports Illustrated, the Jacksonville Jaguars have been projected to pick Fields with the second pick.

The Jaguars’ current quarterback, Gardner Minshew, was a sixth-round pick in the 2018 draft.

Minshew had a breakout season last year after he beat out Nick Foles for the Jaguars starting job. The team traded Foles to the Chicago Bears this offseason, and Minshew will have an opportunity to prove that he can be the Jaguars’ franchise quarterback. However, if the team struggles with Minshew under center, the Jaguars could turn to Fields in next year’s draft.

Even though Fields has been linked with the Jaguars, he could face competition from another highly rated college quarterback prospect.

Trevor Lawrence vs Justin Fields

Many pundits agree that Clemson quarterback, Trevor Lawrence will be the first pick in next year’s draft. Lawrence has had an impressive college career, making it to the national championship game in each of his two seasons at Clemson.

The talented quarterback is expected to move on from the Tigers after the 2020 season, and many quarterback-needy NFL teams have expressed interest in drafting him. Fields and Lawrence are the top two quarterbacks in the 2021 draft class, and the upcoming season will determine their respective draft positions. For now, the two players will hope to lead their teams to the national championship game next season. During last season’s Fiesta Bowl, Clemson defeated Ohio State Buckeyes in a highly controversial game to make it to the national championship final. Many Buckeyes fans felt that Clemson benefited from several controversial decisions from the match officials. However, after a successful recruiting season, many Ohio State fans are optimistic that Fields will lead the team to a national championship next year.
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