Everyone has seen the constant flow of narratives leading up to the 2021 NFL Draft.

Who will be the second quarterback selected behind Trevor Lawrence? Is three-year BYU standout Zach Wilson more equipped for the NFL than Justin Fields? How far will the former Buckeye drop in the first round?

Fields, the two-year leader of Ohio State’s offense, has been consistently dissected and nitpicked by analysts across the country since he initially declared for the draft in January. In particular, his ability to make multiple reads and pick out secondary targets have come into question.

His former head coach pays no mind to those perceived weaknesses.

“I think when you look at Justin’s body of work-- when you’re throwing to Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson and some of the guys we have, and the first read we have is open a lot, that’s not his fault,” Ryan Day said on Wednesday. “You know what I mean? There’s a reason why we put certain plays in.”

Day, who had a major hand in developing Fields during his two seasons in Columbus, was emphatic in his support of the quarterback’s abilities across the gridiron, saying he gives no attention to the constant analysis and criticism of the two-time Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year.

Beyond the fact that Ohio State’s number one options at receiver were talented enough to limit Fields’ full array of reads, Day said the Georgia native is smart enough to pick up every option on a single action in the blink of an eye.

That’s an ability that will transfer immediately to the NFL, he added.

“I think there were a lot of times where Justin got back to two, three, sometimes four, five [reads]. So he has the ability to do that,” Day said. “He’s very, very intelligent, really sharp. It doesn’t take him much to learn a play, to get it.”

Fields’ greatest struggles did in fact come when defenses took away the aforementioned Olave or Wilson (12-for-27 passing against Northwestern, 17-for-33 against Alabama), or sent constant pressure at him in the backfield (12-for-28 against Indiana).

However, with those struggles came an improved ability to find tight ends across the middle, scramble for yardage in high-pressure situations, and throw the ball away when necessary-- a major adjustment after he took a few too many sacks in the Buckeyes’ first few games of 2020.

In the end, Fields was the leader of one of the country’s most dynamic offenses, driving Ohio State downfield time and time again, all the way to the CFP National Championship. To Day, that is what means most.

“Whatever NFL team asks him to do something, he will learn it very, very quickly,” Day said. “One thing he’s gonna do is he’s gonna make a lot of plays. When you look back on his career here, what he did is he made a lot of plays.”

Whether there exist more system-ready players than Fields doesn’t matter to Day-- with an offense designed around his abilities, Fields will make positive things happen, the former NFL quarterbacks coach said.

“I always think great coaching is adjusting your scheme to the personnel that you have,” Day said. “Some team’s gonna get very lucky by drafting him.”

When all is said and done, will the criticism really matter? In late April, after Fields has learned his new home, will perceived issues about his progressions be dominating the conversation?

Probably not.

This kind of chatter happens every year. Finding weaknesses and areas to improve upon are a crucial part of the draft process. Both Day and Fields know that.

But after two years spent with the projected top-10 pick, Ohio State’s head coach is convinced that Justin Fields will make waves, no matter when he is taken or where he ends up.

“This is the time of year in the NFL Draft where people can kinda go after you a little bit and try to find your warts. That’s fine,” Day said. “They may find someone that’s really perfect for their system, somebody that really fits into a box.

“But I can promise you this: Justin Fields is gonna make plays in the NFL. No matter what you do, no matter what you say, you can’t put a value on that.”