Ohio State Buckeyes running back Trey Sermon (8) blocks for quarterback Justin Fields (1) on a pass against Indiana Hoosiers during the third quarter in their NCAA Division I football game on Saturday, Nov. 21, 2020 at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio.
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The Bears have struggled to contend in the NFC North, but that could be about to change after they drafted Justin Fields.
The Chicago Bears could not realistically compete in the NFC North with Andy Dalton, but they could contend in the division for years to come after drafting their quarterback of the future in Justin Fields.
Chicago surged up the board as they struck a trade with the New York Giants to move up from 20 to 11 to select the Ohio State star, who had seen Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson and Trey Lance go off the board ahead of him.
Now he gets the chance to revive a franchise that has been too far behind the Green Bay Packers for too long as Mitchell Trubisky and Nick Foles have failed to provide the answer under center.
And, with Aaron Rodgers‘ Packers future looking uncertain, the Bears could be excellently positioned to rule the North for years to come with arguably the second-best quarterback in the class.
Fields is a quarterback who can deliver accurately to all levels of the field from the pocket, which he has shown the ability to navigate expertly, while he has consistently demonstrated the athleticism to escape and make extremely precise throws on the run.
Perhaps second only to Lance in terms of upside as a runner, Fields offers a dynamic skill set that should elevate those around him, and he will be the most talented quarterback disgruntled wide receiver Allen Robinson has played with during his career.
Beyond Robinson, the weapons around Fields could use an upgrade but the Bears still possess a defense that can put their offense in excellent positions.
What they haven’t had is a quarterback who can take advantage of those situations. Fields is perfectly equipped to do just that and, with Rodgers perhaps about to head to pastures new, the Bears may now have an opportunity to wrest control of the division for years to come.