The Chicago Bears stole the show on Day 1 of the 2021 NFL Draft and traded up for Justin Fields.
What a night it was for Ryan Pace, Matt Nagy, the Bears and their entire fan base.
In a move that many are already calling the “steal of the draft,” the Bears moved up and selected Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields at pick no. 11 overall.
The Bears traded this year’s no. 20 pick, next year’s first-round selection, along with a fourth and fifth rounder to move up nine spots and get their franchise quarterback. Fields is officially a Bear, and the fans are understandably excited.
It still feels surreal that Pace made the move to go up and get his guy in Fields. It’s almost reminiscent of the morning fans woke up to the news that Khalil Mack was a Bear. Similarly to the Mack trade, and his impact on the defense as a whole, Fields will impact the offense.
Every offensive starter for the Chicago Bears is immediately leveled up due to the Justin Fields pick.
The Bears’ biggest problem for the last few years has been their inability to score points. Their offense has not been able to sustain drives and, in two out of the last three seasons, the playoff berths have been one and done exits.
Fields has big-game experience. He’s been there and performed well on college football’s biggest stage. He’s played against the best of the best in teams like Clemson and Alabama, and he’s played at a high level. Now, he gets to play in the black and blue division — a division where the Bears’ quarterback play is typically the butt of many jokes.
The jokes end here, folks. Fields is the second-best quarterback in this draft, and has been for a long time now. Despite Zach Wilson and Trey Lance going ahead of him, the Bears landed the second-best passer to Trevor Lawrence. Pace worked his magic and pounced when he had the opportunity.
Now, the Bears have plenty of reason to be hopeful about a playoff run in 2021 — and years to come. The offense is going to level up in a big way this coming season. Specifically, Fields is going to impact these three players more than others.
