Amid the recent movement at the top of the 2021 NFL draft, Justin Fields had his first major moment in front of NFL scouts Tuesday during Ohio State's pro day.
Among the notable NFL personnel in Columbus, Ohio, were New York Jets general manager Joe Douglas, assistant general manager Rex Hogan and offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur, per ESPN's Rich Cimini. They own the second overall pick in this year's draft.
Peter Schrager of Fox Sports and NFL Network noted that Jets head coach Robert Saleh didn't make the trip because his wife is due to give birth at some point soon.
Once he stepped onto the field, Fields lit up the stopwatches with a 40-yard dash that clocked in at 4.45 seconds. Here is a full list of his measurables, via NFL Network's Aditi Kinkhabwala:
Fields' 40 time became a major talking point from his workout:
Even though Fields has rare speed at the quarterback position, the main attraction for NFL teams is what he can do as a passer. The 22-year-old didn't disappoint:
Tom Fornelli and Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports praised Fields' performance as well as wonder why there appear to be so many questions about him leading up to the draft:
Fields did have a midseason lull last year with 613 passing yards, four touchdowns and five interceptions in three games against Indiana, Michigan State and Northwestern. He rebounded in the Sugar Bowl with 385 yards and six touchdowns in a 49-28 win over Clemson.
Head coach Ryan Day told reporters after the Buckeyes' 52-24 loss to Alabama in the College Football Playoff Championship Game that Fields wasn't 100 percent due to a hip injury he suffered against Clemson.
With four weeks remaining until the NFL draft, the consensus seems to be that things will start to get interesting when the San Francisco 49ers go on the clock at No. 3 overall.
At this point, it would be a surprise if the Jacksonville Jaguars don't take Trevor Lawrence and the Jets don't end up with Zach Wilson.
The 49ers traded up with the Miami Dolphins with the intention of taking a quarterback. Fields, Mac Jones and Trey Lance seem to be the most likely candidates for them.
There's still plenty of time for teams evaluating this class to decide, but Fields' performance on Tuesday would seem to solidify his status as a potential top-five pick.