Caleb Williams – Quarterback – 22 years old – Junior – USC
Height: 1m85
Weight: 98 kilos
Estimated position in the draft: top 3
NFL Comparison: Patrick Mahomes (Chiefs)
Efficient and also electric, Caleb Williams has everything to attract an NFL franchise and his economic logic of filling his stadium and selling jerseys: he is capable of winning matches and offers a very spectacular game.
Strong points
– Powerful arm
– Great capacity for improvisation
– A game made for the modern NFL
In 2023, no other college quarterback has thrown more passes gaining 50 yards or more than Caleb Williams! Certainly, this statistic does not differentiate the distance covered in the air and the yards gained after reception, but his ability to propel his receivers deep is exceptional.
But Caleb Williams' main strength is his ability to find a solution when the horizon seems blocked by the opposing defense. His vision and mobility in the pocket very often allowed him to make an impact play when the attempt seemed doomed to failure.
The offensive system Read Pass Option is popular in the NFL and is causing havoc. If he is not as elusive as Lamar Jackson, Caleb Williams knows how to use his legs, especially near the goal: 10 touchdowns on the ground in 2022 and 11 touchdowns in 2023.
Weak points
– Holds the ball too long
– Protects his ball poorly
– Can he carry his team like a leader?
Because he is ultra confident in his ability to find a solution, he keeps the ball too long. According to Pro Football Focus, Caleb Williams took 3.21 seconds on average before throwing in 2023 (3.44 seconds in 2022): the longest time of all the quarterbacks chosen in the 1st round of a draft since 2018!
As a result, he suffered 63 sacks over his two seasons at USC! While some are attributable to the offensive line, many are of his making. In this aspect, he is a lot like Justin Fields and the latter conceded a lot of sacks with Chicago!
Although he throws very few interceptions (14 in 3 seasons), Caleb Williams nevertheless loses a lot of balls: 32 fumbles in 37 games! Another consequence of his desire to produce a decisive play even when defenders come to press him.
Some NCAA followers question the firmness of his character. From his painted nails (his mother runs a nail salon) to his breakdown after the defeat against Washington last November where he jumped into the stands into his mother's arms to cry. After the defeat against UCLA, he refused to go to a press conference: all this called into question his ability to represent an NFL franchise.
His status as a college superstar and future top draft pick means that his every move will be scrutinized: does he have the character to handle this enormous pressure?
Due to a very weak defense, USC was most of the time trailing in 2023: not easy to reverse the situation. On this point again, Caleb Williams resembles Patrick Mahomes. During his last season with Texas Tech, the Chiefs pitcher experienced the same situation for the same record of five wins and seven losses.
A top 3 pick in the draft, he will play in 2024 for one of the weakest franchises and will, once again, have to come back to score: does he have the ability? But Caleb Williams has rare talent so there will be plenty of courtiers in the 2024 draft.
Possible destinations
Chicago Bears, Washington Commanders, New England Patriots, New York Giants, Atlanta Falcons, Denver Broncos, Las Vegas Raiders
The Chicago Bears' decision will have a domino effect throughout the 2024 draft: trade the number 1 pick or keep it by sending Justin Fields elsewhere?
The Washington Commanders are in ambush because Sam Howell has thrown as many interceptions as touchdowns in 2023! In addition, their new offensive coordinator is none other than the 2023 college quarterbacks coach at USC.
Kliff Kingsbury knows the player's qualities and faults perfectly while the quarterback is already familiar with the coach's preferred schemes: enough to save time even if the contexts will be different. A native of the capital and star of Gonzaga High School in Washington DC, Caleb Williams would thus return home.
Former NFL linebacker, new Patriots coach Jerod Mayo knows that an unpredictable quarterback can change a game. Caleb Williams is therefore an option for a glorious franchise that has been in decline for several years.
Because his talent is undeniable, in addition to a capacity for improvisation capable of filling an NFL stadium, franchises are likely to set up a trade to obtain him. This is the case for the Giants, Falcons, Broncos and Raiders.
