Bears trade up with Giants to select Ohio State QB Justin Fields at No. 11
The Chicago Bears traded up with the New York Giants to select Justin Fields with the No. 11 pick in the NFL draft on Thursday.
The Bears reportedly gave up the No. 20 pick and a fifth-round pick this year and first- and fourth-round picks in 2021 to move up to draft Fields.
The Ohio State junior was the fourth quarterback off the board, following Trevor Lawrence (No. 1, Jaguars), Zach Wilson (No. 2, Jets) and Trey Lance (No. 3, 49ers).
The Giants later selected Florida wide receiver Kadarius Toney with the No. 20 pick acquired from the Bears. Toney is an explosive playmaker with upside in the return game.
Fields a standout at Ohio State
In two seasons at Ohio State after transferring from Georgia, Fields completed 68.4% of his passes for 244.2 yards per game while throwing 63 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He also ran for 867 yards on four yards per carry en route to winning Offensive Player of the Year honors during both of his seasons at Ohio State.
Fields led the Buckeyes to an appearance in the national championship game last season, a 52-24 loss to Alabama. His performance in a showdown against Lawrence and Clemson in the national semifinal was one of the highlights of the college football season. Fields led Ohio State to a 49-28 victory while throwing for 385 yards with six touchdowns and an interception.
He's an NFL-ready quarterback with a big arm exceptional athleticism.
Relief for QB-needy Bears
The selection marks a new era for the Bears, four years after they traded up to select Mitchell Trubisky with the No. 2 pick in the 2017 draft. Chicago finished 12-4 and won the NFC North during Trubisky's second season, but failed to win more than eight games in each of the last two seasons as its offense regressed behind shaky quarterback play.
The Bears parted with Trubisky this offseason and signed veteran Andy Dalton to join Nick Foles on the quarterback depth chart. If Fields isn't the Day 1 starter, Dalton will begin the season under center. But it shouldn't take long for Chicago to entrust Fields with the job.
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