A whole new crop of quarterbacks will soon be entering the NFL via the 2024 draft. Some of these prospects are considered can't-miss, blue-chip talent who will go at or near the very top of the first round. Several others are regarded as riskier, developmental types, while the rest fall into the bucket of "safer" players with low upside.

Regardless of how scouts see them now, there's no guarantee any of these players will live up to those expectations as professionals. Justin Fields is a perfect example of this, as the Chicago Bears quarterback was considered a slam-dunk first-round pick just three short years ago.

The Bleacher Report Scouting Department graded Fields out at a 9.2—indicating potential All-Pro talent—during the leadup to the 2021 draft. He was the No. 3 overall prospect on their big board and trailed only Trevor Lawrence for highest grade among the 14 signal-callers who were graded that year.

If Fields were to declare for the draft today, it's far from certain he'd even rate among the top five at his position.

Scouts were aware of many of Fields' potential issues ahead of the 2021 draft. At the time, NFL.com's Lance Zierlein pointed out the quarterback's "slower operation time and lack of a twitchy trigger" and predicted he would "take more sacks than coaches will be comfortable with". That projection was spot on, as Fields has gone on to lead the league in sacks taken with a whopping 135 since his rookie season.

Another of Zierlein's predictions wasn't quite on the mark. The analyst said Fields should develop into a "solid NFL starter within a couple of seasons", but the Bears quarterback has been anything but reliable during that span.

While Fields has flashed the dual-threat skills and playmaking abilities that led to him becoming a top-10 pick, he's done so inconsistently and has made plenty of errors between those glimpses of brilliance.

Since 2021, Fields has tallied up 6,674 yards and 40 touchdowns but has only completed 60.3 percent of his passes and has been responsible for 30 interceptions. He's run for 2,220 yards in that same span—a mark that trails only Lamar Jackson—and 14 touchdowns, but he's also lost 11 of his league-leading 38 fumbles on 356 totes.

Earning that same 9.2 grade in 2024 would put Fields on equal footing as Caleb Williams—the B/R Scouting Department's No. 4 overall prospect and No. 2 quarterback—and only 0.1 behind Drake Maye, the top-rated signal-caller in this class and No. 3 overall player.

It's clear that NFL evaluators don't believe Fields has anywhere close to that type of potential anymore.

This can be evidenced by the responses from executives recently polled by ESPN's Courtney Cronin. An overwhelming amount believe Chicago should trade its incumbent starter and draft Williams—the heavy odds-on favorite at DraftKings Sportsbook to go No. 1 overall—with one succinctly stating "it's not even a debate, trade [Fields] to Atlanta for two third-rounders and keep it moving".

Another scout noted how "revered" the quarterbacks in this class are, believing the Bears could get a historic haul if they elected to trade out from the top slot. While that's mostly a testament to the potential greatness of Williams and Maye, the other quarterbacks in this class aren't too shabby, either.

LSU's Jayden Daniels may only be the B/R Scouting Department's No. 24 overall prospect because of his 7.8 grade, but he's also been projected to become the No. 3 overall pick in its latest mock draft.

When summarizing the selection, Derek Klassen noted that Daniels isn't an elite pocket passer but highlighted his incredible athleticism and rushing talent as reasons why he'll be able to contribute right away in the NFL. Already possessing a skill set reminiscent of Fields' while also having far more upside, Daniels cannot rank behind a three-year starter who is likely far closer to his ceiling.

Michigan's J.J. McCarthy, Washington's Michael Penix Jr. and Oregon's Bo Nix are the remaining class of 2024 quarterbacks with legitimate potential to be taken within the first two days of the upcoming draft.

McCarthy is generally the most well-regarded of this trio and recently had his grade bumped to a 7.7 by the B/R Scouting Department following an impressive showing at the combine. ESPN's Dan Graziano reported that several front offices are high on the Wolverines passer—there's even been whispers that he could come off the board before Daniels—and it appears he's trending towards being drafted in top half of the first round at worst.

Given his surging stock, McCarthy should rank ahead of Fields and would almost certainly be selected before the veteran in the 2024 draft.

Penix (7.1) and Nix (7.1) are the most comparable prospects to Fields in terms of their grades. The Nos. 66 and 70 prospects, respectively, on the B/R Scouting Department's big board have both seen wild fluctuations in terms of where analysts believe they'll ultimately get picked on draft day. As much as the combine helped McCarthy solidify his Day 1 status, the event seems to have further mystified Penix and Nix in the eyes of many evaluators.

According to Yahoo! Sports' Charles Robinson, only three of the seven NFL scouts he spoke to still believe one or both of these quarterbacks could still become first-rounders. Both threw well in Indianapolis, but detractors highlighted their age (they will each be 24 years old during the 2024 season) and high volume of starts—giving a "defined feel for what they can be"—leading to a lower ceiling.

These same criticisms could be applied to Fields, who turns 25 today and has already put 40 NFL appearances on tape ahead of that milestone. While Fields isn't going to suddenly develop the next Peyton Manning or Tom Brady, there's still a chance he continues to grow as a passer and rounds out what has been the most frustrating part of his game at his next career stop.

While Penix and Nix are only slightly younger than Fields, their locked-in low contract costs and slightly higher upside would still give them a narrow edge if teams had to pick between one of them and Fields, who is heading into the final guaranteed year of his rookie deal.

There's a rather quick drop-off after Nix, with South Carolina's Spencer Rattler (6.6) and Tulane's Michael Pratt (6.0) the only other prospects receiving draft-worthy grades this year. Fields would get selected before those two and likely grade out at around a 7.0, making him the No. 7 overall quarterback in this class.