NDN: Chicago Bears QB Justin Fields looks like the real deal

The hype going into last weekend was how the five first-round quarterbacks from the 2021 NFL Draft would perform in the first game of their NFL career. While all five quarterbacks look good one player stood out above the rest and that was Chicago’s Justin Fields. In this week’s 2022 NFL Draft Notebook we break down his game and what his role will likely be with the Chicago Bears this season.

Along with taking a look at Justin Fields performance this week’s article also take a look at the following

• DeMarvin Leal scouting report
• A rookie the Chicago Bears are worried about
• Scouting notes and rankings on the 2022 NFL Draft defensive tackle class
• One addition the New York Jets could make to help Zach Wilson next season
• And much more

Justin Fields Performance

Justin Fields might be the most anticipated rookie in Chicago Bears history as Bear’s fans think they might have finally found their answer at quarterback. In the first preseason game of his career Fields lived up to these high expectations as he made numerous plays and displayed the skills to develop into a franchise quarterback.

Overall on the day, Justin Fields completed 14 of 20 passes for 142 yards for one touchdown. He also was able to rush for 33 yards on 5 carries including one rush for a touchdown. While his stats were impressive the way he did it was even more impressive.

The first thing that stood out about Justin Fields’ performance was how comfortable he was in the pocket. He went through his reads on numerous occasions and was not afraid to throw the check-down route. Another positive with his pocket presence is how he kept his eyes downfield when starting to scramble and on different occasions found a receiver downfield due to this.

Fields displayed outstanding accuracy as well. He routinely hit his receivers in stride and was also able to thread the needle in tight coverage. In addition to being able to throw the ball accurately from the pocket, he displayed the ability to throw on the run. The Chicago Bears used him on rollout passes on several occasions which he should be extremely dangerous at as he is a threat to run with the ball or hit his receiver downfield on these plays.

Another area Justin Fields showed exciting potential at is as a runner. He had one scramble where he broke one tackle in the pocket, took off, and rushed eight yards before lowering his shoulder for his first NFL touchdown. He also displayed his speed on several other runs and easily could be the most athletic quarterback in Chicago Bears history.

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One area of concern that did pop up though was his lack of ball security. He tended to keep only one hand on the ball when scrambling or running with the ball. This resulted in one fumble on the day and if the issue is not fixed could be a big issue with him this season.

When it comes to what role we will see Justin Fields play with the Chicago Bears this season, he will likely still start the season off as the Bears’ backup. However, it is also likely Fields will get more reps with the first-team unit in practice and possibly even in preseason games.

It would not be a shock if Fields became the starter by the middle of the season especially if the team is not contending for a playoff spot.

DeMarvin Leal Scouting Report

The top defensive tackle in the 2022 NFL Draft and one of the best defensive players in the entire draft is Texas A&M’s, Demarvin Leal. Leal came to the Aggies after a stellar career at Judson High School in San Antonio, Texas. As a senior, he recorded  83 tackles, 16 tackles for loss, 13 quarterback hits, six sacks, six pass breakups, four forced fumbles. His strong play on the field and high upside allowed Leal to be named a five-star ranking by 247 Sports.

When it came to choosing where to play his college ball Leal decided to stay close to home and attend Texas A&M. As a freshman he started seven games and was named the team’s Defensive Newcomer of the Year. This past season he was named the team’s Defensive MVP after leading the team in hurries and finishing the year with 37 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and one interception.

When projecting Leal to the next level the first thing that stands out is his outstanding athletic ability. He is often asked to play as a standup edge in Texas A&M’s defense and looks natural at this spot despite being 290 pounds. His athletic ability shows up as a pass rusher as well. He displays outstanding quickness and can beat offensive tackles with speed off the edge.

Another positive with Leal is how disciplined he plays. He does a great job of reading his blocks and staying at home vs the run instead of flying up the field and finding himself out of position. He shows a high football IQ as a pass rusher as well and can beat teams with a variety of pass-rushing moves including a spin move and bull rush.

The biggest concern with Leal is his lack of power. While he can win at times with his bull rush he may have trouble with this move against stronger offensive guards in the NFL compared to the offensive tackles he beats with this move in college.

In terms of where Leal will fit best in the NFL, he has the ability to be a disruptive 3-technique pass-rushing defensive tackle. He would be an ideal fit in this scheme as he has the quickness to shoot his gap and makes plays consistently in the backfield. If he is put in this scheme at the next level it would not be a shock to see Leal become an All-Pro defensive tackle.

• While the Chicago Bears are very happy with first-round pick Justin Fields, that is not the case with second-round pick Teven Jenkins. The team is likely concerned about Jenkins due to a back injury that has kept him out of training camp, and it is uncertain when he will be able to practice again. The team recently signed nine-time Pro Bowl left tackle, Jason Peters, to fill the team’s left tackle job that Jenkins was penciled in to fill this year. UPDATE: Jenkins will have back surgery, per the Bears.
• Indianapolis Colts quarterback Sam Ehlinger continues to show why he was named to the All-Underrated team going into the draft. This past weekend he showed excellent command of the team and overall toughness as he led the Colts to a comeback victory over the Carolina Panthers. On the day he completed 10 of 15 passes for 155 yards and also rushed the ball eight times for 30 yards. If he continues to play this way it would not be a surprise if he beat out Jacob Eason for the backup job.
• A quarterback who had mixed reviews was Tampa Bay Buccaneers Kyle Trask. He finished the day completing just four of 15 passes for 35 yards. However, these numbers were hurt by his receivers dropping several of his passes. Why this can help explain these results it is more than likely that Trask will spend most of this year as the third quarterback on the roster behind Tom Brady and Blaine Gabbert.
• One rookie who has really struggled so far in training camp is Buffalo Bills defensive end Boogie Basham. The Bills who selected Basham in the second round of the draft have mainly been giving him reps against second and third stringers. He also saw most of his time in the team’s first preseason game late in the game, which is a time most teams play players who could get cut. While it is doubtful the Bills will cut this high of a pick they can’t be pleased with his production so far.
• An undrafted free agent who had a strong performance last weekend was Washington running back Jaret Patterson. Patterson led the team in rushing yards with 40 yards and receiving yards with 30. It looks like Patterson is in the team’s future as well as the team recently cut running back Lamar Miller and lacks great depth at this position.

• A team looking for help stopping the run in the 2022 NFL Draft is going to love what they find in Georgia defensive tackle Jordan Davis. Coming in at 6-foot-6 and 340 pounds he has the size to clog up the middle. He shows impressive strength as well and is extremely hard to move off the ball. On the downside, he is not much of a pass rusher and might see his reps limited at the next level due to his lack of ability to get after the quarterback.
• North Texas defensive tackle Dion Novil is a player with intriguing potential. Novil plays nose tackle for the Mean Green which is not a position that usually puts up big numbers but that is not the case with him. During his career, the 6-foot-4 330-pound prospect has recorded 135 tackles, 28 tackles for loss, and 6.5 sacks. The main reason he has been such a force is his surprising quickness which routinely allows him to beat his man off the ball. Surprisingly one area he needs to improve is his strength which is not normally a concern with a player his size.
• Western Michigan’s Ralph Holley is a pass-rushing defensive tackle that a team could likely pick up as a priority free agent after the 2022 NFL Draft. Over his career, he has recorded 14 sacks including three last year in just six games. His strong effort last season earned him a pass-rushing grade of 90.6 which was the 12th highest mark of any defensive lineman. What allows him to get pressure on the quarterback is his quick first step, although he will need to develop more power and keep his feet moving on contact because after his initial surge he doesn’t make a big impact.
• If Appalachian State’s Demetrius Taylor is allowed to be a three-technique defensive tackle in the NFL he easily could develop into a rotational defensive lineman at the next level. What stands out with Taylor is his quickness and athletic ability which allows him to make plays in opponents’ backfields on a consistent basis. Over his college career, he has 35.5 tackles for loss, 19.5 sacks, and five forced fumbles.
• Coming out of high school South Carolina defensive tackle Zacch Pickens was rated as one of the top ten players in his class. However, he has yet to produce anything close to what you expect from a five-star recruit. Over his career with the Gamecocks, he has only started seven games and has just one career sack. Hopefully, things are turning around for him though as he was named South Carolina’s most improved defensive player in spring ball and should be a full-time starter this year. As a pro prospect, he is an athletic lineman with good speed but will need to get stronger.
• A transfer who could make an impact this season is DaQuan Newkirk who decided to transfer from Auburn to Florida after the school fired Guz Malzahn. Last year was the first time Newkirk was a starter as he missed significant time earlier in his career due to two torn Achilles tendons. He finished the year with 28 tackles and 1.5 sacks which was ok but not terrific numbers. However, those stats will likely improve this season with the Gators as he has impressed coaches during practice and has shown the versatility to play either a three or zero technique in Florida’s defense.

Most underrated: Jared Brinkman, UNI 

While people will overlook UNI Jared Brinkman due to his lack of ideal size and only average athletic ability he has the talent to make an NFL roster. His best asset as a player is his strength. He consistently is able to get penetration into the backfield due to his strength and great leverage. He shows a quick first step as well and when not beating his opponent with power can beat his man off the ball. These two traits are part of the reason why Brinkman was named Missouri Valley Defensive Player of the Year and led the conference with nine tackles for loss in just seven games.

Most overrated: Haskell Garrett, Ohio State

Going into the 2021 season Ohio State’s Haskell Garrett is being billed as one of the best defensive tackles in college football. This hype does not live up to his play on the field though as he only has 6.5 tackles for loss and two sacks during his Ohio State career. He lacks the physical skills to be a high draft pick as well showing only average speed after his first step off the ball. He can also be manhandled at the line of scrimmage due to his lack of power.

Defensive tackle that should significantly improve his stock: Taron Vincent, Ohio State

A player Ohio State is counting on to have a big year this season is former five-star recruit Taron Vincent. Vincent saw playing time as a freshman in 2018, but the last two seasons he has been nicked up with a shoulder injury. This spring though he has been healthy and dominant on the football field with Ohio State defensive line coach Larry Johnson saying that Vincent has everything they look for in a three-technique defensive tackle. Vincent should also be starting for the first time this season now that Tommy Togiai is off to the NFL.

Biggest risk: Brandon Pili, USC

USC’s Brandon Pill is a risky prospect for two reasons. The first reason is that he will miss this season with a torn Achilles and has also battled injuries throughout his career. The second reason teams will be hesitant to add him is his lack of production. Last season, he only recorded five tackles and looked out of shape most of these years. Despite these concerns though, a team will likely bring him in as a free agent due to his combination of size and explosiveness.

Top small school defensive tackle: Mike Greene, James Madison

Despite playing out of position last year James Madison’s Mike Greene was one of the top players in the FCS last year. He finished the season with 25 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, and three sacks in just eight games. He is also getting his share of attention from NFL teams being named to the Senior Bowl watch list.

Special teams standout: Thomas Booker, Stanford

Thomas Booker has been a standout on special teams over the past couple of seasons. Last year he was named the Phil Moffatt Award winner which is given to Stanford’s most outstanding special teams player. His play of the year is when he blocked a PAT against California to win the game for the Cardinals.

Overall Rankings

1. Demarvin Leal, Texas A&M (first round)

2, Jordan Davis, Georgia (second round)

3. Zachary Carter, Florida (second round)

4. Perrion Winfrey, Oklahoma (third round)

5. Tyler Davis, Clemson (third round)

6. Thomas Booker, Stanford (third round)

7. Phidarian Mathis, Alabama (fourth round)

8. Keondre Coburn, Texas (fourth round)

9. Dante Stills, West Virginia (fourth round)

10. Haskell Garrett, Ohio State (fifth round)

11. DaQuan Newkirk, Florida (fifth round)

12. Taron Vincent, Ohio State (fifth round)

13. Chris Hinton, Michigan (fifth round)

14. Jalen Redmond, Oklahoma (fifth round)

15. DJ Dale, Alabama (fifth round)

16. Christopher Hinton, Michigan (fifth round)

17. Travis Jones, UCONN (fifth round)

18. Dion Novil, North Texas (fifth round)

19. Jermayne Lole, Arizona State (sixth round)

20. Demetrius Taylor, Appalachian State (sixth round)

21. Zacch Pickens, South Carolina (sixth round)

22. Devonte Wyatt, Georgia (sixth round)

23. Jerrod Clark, Coastal Carolina (sixth round)

24. Tomari Fox, North Carolina (seventh round)

25. Mike Greene, James Madison (seventh round)

26. Marquan McCall, Kentucky (seventh round)

27. Nesta Silvera, Miami (seventh round)

28. Jared Brinkman, UNI (seventh round)

29. Ifeanyi Maijeh, Rutgers (seventh round)

30. Kobie Turner, Richmond (seventh round)

31. Israel Antwine, Oklahoma State (seventh round)

32. Roderick Perry II, Illinois (free agent)

33. Ralph Holley, Western Michigan (free agent)

34. Kobie Whiteside, Missouri (free agent)

35. Josh Pryor, Bowie State (free agent)

36. Viane Moala, Utah (free agent)

37. Sam Roberts, Northwest Missouri State (free agent)

38. Brandon Pili, USC (free agent)

39.  Manny Jones, Colorado State (free agent)

40. Cory Durden, North Carolina State (free agent)

41. Joseph Wallace, Sam Houston State (free agent)

• One position that is looking like it could be a major weakness for the New York Giants is offensive guard. This position took a hit when Zach Fulton retired and overall lacks much depth. The team could also look to replace Will Hernandez next season as he will be a free agent and has seen his level of play gone downhill the past couple of seasons. If the team decided to spend one of its two third-round picks on this position next April a player who might make sense is Cade Mays of Tennessee.
•  It is becoming clear the New York Jets will feature the tight end more in its offense under offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur. The team’s likely starting tight end this season is Chris Herndon who is having a solid training camp. However, Herndon is scheduled to be a free agent after the season and if he moves on the Jets will likely take a tight end in the first couple of rounds of the 2022 NFL Draft.
• The big question in Philadelphia this season is will quarterback Jalen Hurts show enough to be counted on as the starting quarterback for the 2022 season. While Hurts saw very limited action in his first preseason game of the year he looked like a starting quarterback. He showed good pocket presence and did a good job of only taking off when needed. He also displayed good accuracy despite only completing three of seven passes on the night. While it is way too early to make a judgment on Hurts it is a good sign he is off to a strong start.
• Despite spending several recent draft picks on their secondary the Atlanta Falcons will likely be looking to add a cornerback early in the 2022 NFL Draft. 2020 first-round pick A.J. Terrell had an average rookie season and the team’s other starting cornerback is Fabian Moreau. Moreau, who only signed a one-year contract, primarily played on special teams the past couple of seasons with the Washington Football Team. Two players the team could look at in the early part of the first round are LSU’s Derek Stingley Jr. and Florida’s Kaiir Elam.
• Watching the Chicago Bears preseason game one thing that became evident was the lack of depth at wide receiver. While the team is set with Allen Robinson and Darnell Mooney as its starters the team has little behind them. This position could be an even bigger need for the team if Allen Robinson leaves as a free agent after the year, but if the team is able to resign him they would still be wise to add a receiver or two early on the third day of the draft.

• Alabama’s Evan Neal was recently named the top freak in college by Bruce Feldman of the Athletic. Some of the numbers Neal has posted that earn him this honor include a 48-inch box jump, a 475-pound bench press, and a 650-pound squat. These numbers should help solidify Neal’s status as a first-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.
• Another player who has put up some eye-popping testing numbers according to Feldman is Tariq Woolen of UTSA. Woolen is a 6-foot-4 204-pound corner who runs a 4.34 40-yard dash. While Woolen has yet to turn these numbers into outstanding production on the field, some team will likely fall in love with his raw tools and bring him into camp next year.
• The Senior Bowl came out with its watch list this week. The school with the most players on the list was Arizona State with 13, while Iowa State had the second most with 12. The list also included 31 players from the FCS and 33 small school players overall.
• A Division II player to make the Senior Bowl watch list is defensive tackle Josh Pryor. Pryor who plays at Bowie State racked up some pretty impressive stats in 2019 including 70 tackles, 25 tackles for loss, and 13 sacks.
• Alabama defensive tackle DJ Dale has been limited in practice due to injury. Dale who shows promising potential will need to step up his production this year as he only had 22 tackles and zero sacks last year.
• Notre Dame is moving Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa from defensive tackle to defensive end this year. At only 6-foot-2 and 268 pounds, this is likely a smart move for him as he lacks the size to play defensive tackle in the NFL but could make an NFL team as a 3-4 defensive end.
• Former Arizona State punter Michael Turk has transferred to Oklahoma. Turk was named All-Pac 12 the last two years and averaged 46 yards per punt last season. With another strong season this year, Turk has a good chance to be a day-three pick this year.
• The Sun Devils were dealt another blow last week when it was announced star defensive tackle Jermayne Lole will miss most if not all of this season with a tear in his right tricep. Last season, Lole recorded 24 tackles, 18 pressures, and five tackles for loss in just four games.

• UCLA quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson was gone from the team for ten days and missed eight practices of fall camp. The reason for his absence was never given but he should be fully ready to go for the season opener vs. Hawaii.