Report: Patriots could trade up for Fields

The New England Patriots may be lining up a move for former Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields.

The Patriots have been exploring a trade into the top 10 of the 2021 NFL Draft, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reports. Teams receiving calls from the Patriots believe the club is targeting Fields should he begin to fall.

Fields is regarded as one of the top passers in this year's draft, ranking second in theScore's 2021 NFL Draft quarterback prospect rankings. He was once a candidate to go third overall to the San Francisco 49ers before the club reportedly narrowed their options down to Alabama quarterback Mac Jones or North Dakota State's Trey Lance.

The Ohio State product enters the NFL with an impressive college resume, tossing 67 touchdowns against nine interceptions. He also led the Buckeyes to a victory over Clemson en route to a national championship game appearance last season.

New England has reportedly been aggressively scouting the top quarterbacks of this year's draft class. The position was a notable weak point in 2020 with Cam Newton throwing more interceptions (10) than passing touchdowns (8), though he added an additional 12 scores on the ground. The Patriots re-signed the former MVP to a one-year deal earlier this offseason.

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