JUST IN:Teams unable to afford the top quarterbacks in the draft could find value in Justin Fields.

It’s obvious that Caleb Williams of USC, Drake Maye of North Carolina, and Jayden Daniels of LSU will be the top quarterbacks selected in the 2024 NFL Draft.

However, there may be a less expensive option – one who is more of a tried-and-true player in the NFL already – for clubs choosing outside of the top eight picks, which is the range in which all three are predicted to be selected: Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields.

Fields is a top target for the QB-needy clubs that will miss out on 2024’s “big three,” according to SI.com’s Albert Breer, who made this suggestion in his most recent mailbag. Breer also claimed that Fields’ trade value might really be much lower than what was initially reported.

A second-round pick is a drop in the bucket compared to what teams like the Atlanta Falcons, Minnesota Vikings, Denver Broncos, Las Vegas Raiders and New Orleans Saints – who all draft between pick Nos. 8 and 14 – would have to pay to move up into the top three to grab Williams, Maye or Daniels.

Conversely, the lower asking price would allow any team interested in Fields to still have its first-round pick at its disposal, allowing it to still select a premier top-15-caliber player while securing its QB of the future.

While Fields remains a little rough around the edges, he did show solid improvement from 2022 to 2023. The 24-year-old signal caller averaged more passing yards per game (149.5 in 2022 to 197.1 in 2023) with a better completion percentage (60.4 to 61.4) and passer rating (85.2 to 86.3), plus a lower interception percentage (3.5 to 2.4) and sack percentage (14.7 to 10.6).

Fields did exhibit noticeable improvement from 2022 to 2023, despite the fact that he is still rather rough around the edges. With a greater completion percentage (60.4 to 61.4), passer rating (85.2 to 86.3), and lower interception percentage (3.5 to 2.4) and sack percentage (14.7 to 10.6), the 24-year-old signal caller averaged more passing yards per game (149.5 in 2022 compared to 197.1 in 2023) than any other player.

Many will contend that even though Williams, Maye, and Daniels are all elite-caliber quarterbacks, they still have more upside than they have in the NFL. But when the Bears trade up to select Fields 11th overall in 2021, in the right system, under the guidance of an offensive coach who understands how to employ him, Fields might finally live up to the potential scouts had long extolled.