Malachi Fields transferred to Notre Dame this past offseason, joining a program that was in desperate need of pass catchers coming off of their national championship loss. He delivered a solid season in South Bend as the Fighting Irish's most consistent receiving weapon outside of Jeremiyah Love. Fields isn't an elite athlete, but he high points the ball exceptionally well and gives his quarterback a massive target to throw to. He was more capable in the short game than expected and can generate quick separation when he's not asked to beat press coverage. His route running is the biggest concern I have; it's hard to see him consistently getting open at the next level and making a living in the NFL as a jump ball merchant is a very unlikely outcome.

Fields' efficiency metrics are poor relative to other receivers in this range, which isn't all that surprising given the route running concerns. What's more troubling is that he grades out as merely average in contested catch scenarios, which is supposed to be the foundation of his game. His age-adjusted dominator rating is doing a lot of the heavy lifting in his overall profile as he's found a way to consistently produce throughout his college career. After the few great prospects in this class, a lot of drafts are going to come down to choose your flavor of flawed receiver prospect. Fields is an okay option compared to the other players projected to go in this range.

Film Notes