Micah Parsons compares Justin Fields' draft slip to C.J. Stroud originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
At one point between the combine and Thursday's NFL draft, Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud was the favorite for the No. 1 pick in the draft.
Former NFL quarterback and ESPN analyst, Robert Griffin III, mentioned his confusion about Stroud's sudden thought-of slip in the draft. How is he no longer the consensus No. 1 pick?
Micah Parsons answered that question with past happenings with Bears, and former Ohio State quarterback, Justin Fields.
"It’s no coincidence! They did the same thing with Justin fields! We see how that turned out lol!" Parsons tweeted out in response to Griffin's video of the clip.
Indeed, the NFL slept on Fields in the 2021 draft.
Once thought of as the bonafide No. 2 quarterback to go in the draft – behind the highly-touted Trevor Lawrence – he slipped to the No. 11 pick. Three quarterbacks went before Fields, including – Lawrence, Zach Wilson and Trey Lance.
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How is that working out for the two behind Lawrence?
In Lance's defense, he endured a season-ending injury and an understudy role behind Jimmy Garrapolo. For Wilson, however, he just watched his team replace his starting position with Aaron Rodgers in a trade with the Packers.
The Bears traded with the New York Giants for the No. 11 pick in the 2021 draft and scooped up Fields. And while his first two years in Chicago haven't been perfect, he's shown flashes of having the capability of becoming a franchise cornerstone.
How did he fall to the Bears?
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The rollercoaster of draft positioning is fascinating, too.
On NBC Sports Chicago's Football Night in Chicago, former NFL quarterback Ryan Leaf chose Stroud to be selected with the No. 1 pick, referencing the Carolina Panthers' past affinity for Stroud as evidence of their already-made decision.
"This decision's been made a long time," Leaf said. "It doesn't, all of a sudden, ebb and flow. There are not things that change this."
We'll see how it unravels on Thursday when the clock starts running on the Panthers at No. 1. Will is be the same for the current Buckeye heading into the draft?
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