Trevor Lawrence to the Jacksonville Jaguars at No. 1 overall is a foregone conclusion, but is the Clemson quarterback really the best QB in this year's draft?
Zach Wilson, Justin Fields, Mac Jones, and Trey Lance are the signal-callers expected to come off the board shortly after Lawrence at the top of the first round. Each are highly-coveted prospects deemed capable of being franchise QBs.
On a brand new Next Pats Podcast, former NFL QB J.T. O'Sullivan explained to Perry why Fields deserves to be in the same conversation as Lawrence despite the latter being the consensus No. 1 pick.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Boston sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
Next Pats Podcast: Former NFL QB says he’d consider drafting Justin Fields ahead of Trevor Lawrence | Listen & Subscribe | Watch on YouTube
"I know Trevor Lawrence has been kind of slotted the number one guy for so long that it's almost blasphemy to question that," O'Sullivan said. "Justin Fields is right there and has been right there, and outplayed him on the biggest stage, and there are a number of storylines that say he has the potential to be just as good if not better. So much is luck, so much of it depends on where you fall and what your situation is."
How would Patriots have fared in 2020 if Stidham took over at QB?
New England Patriots
If O'Sullivan were an NFL GM, he would strongly consider going with Fields over Lawrence with the first overall selection.
"If I only had to pick one, for me, I would probably pick Justin Fields. I know that I have a bias because I've been watching Fields and Lawrence a little bit longer than the rest of those guys. I think for most people Zach Wilson came out of nowhere this fall, not a lot of people had him on the radar. ...
"If I was making that pick, with just a limited amount of information and the limited amount of input that I've done up until this point, I really like Justin Fields. I like how tough he is, I like his athletic ability, I like his vibe, I like how he battles through some adversities, some tough situations, all those types of things.
Also discussed in the episode: Phil Perry’s offensive draft crushes. Could Connor Wedington be the next Julian Edelman? And would Texas A&M QB Kellen Mond be a good fit for the Patriots?
Check out the latest episode of the Next Pats Podcast on the NBC Sports Boston Podcast Network, or watch on YouTube below: