Post by riczaj01 on Mar 7, 2024 8:40:09 GMT -6
I'll throw some links and information from 3-5 different sources for a handful of the players, i'll do all the positions of need for the Bears. If you want a position/player feel free to add it or ask me. Starting w/QB.
www.nfl.com/prospects/caleb-williams/32005749-4c17-6897-a516-9754023602e6
Caleb Williams
Prospect Info
COLLEGE USC
HOMETOWN Washington, D.C.
CLASS Junior
HEIGHT 6’ 1’’
WEIGHT 214 lbs
ARM 32’’
HAND 9 3/4’’
Grade 6.76 1st yr starter
Next Gen stats grade 96, elite
Overview
Williams’ play is highlighted by rare escapability paired with the talent to exploit defenses once the play breaks down. He’s not tall, but he is well-built, with an arm to challenge defenses across the field. He can be a high-impact playmaker on the go or an effective pocket passer when he allows himself to trust his eyes on second and third reads. He can improve his accuracy and placement on intermediate and deep throws, but he’s unlikely to be known for pinpoint accuracy. It is admirable that he looks to keep his eyes up and make throws outside the pocket, but he’ll make things easier on himself early in his pro career by becoming a more decisive scrambler to move the sticks and carry on to the next set of downs. Williams is tremendously talented but often bites off too much responsibility and plays off-schedule. He has a good chance to hit new heights with a surrounding cast he trusts, but greater self-discipline and a well-structured offense might be needed to help him become a quarterback who can elevate a franchise to championship contention.
Strengths
Forced to keep his team in games with high-end production and did so.
Better consistency projected with pro targets who separate.
Rapid-fire transition from fake to throw on RPOs.
Twitchy release helps generate heat on drive throws.
Puts enough pace on the ball to challenge safeties to a variety of spots.
Will reset his pocket to create better throwing angles.
Much improved at getting air under deep throws in 2023.
Touchdown-to-interception ratio of 46:1 in red zone since the start of 2022 season, per Pro Football Focus.
Keeps his eyes and arm alive when leaving the pocket.
Rare talent to feel pressure, escape and extend the play.
Weaknesses
Averse to playing throw-and-catch football on schedule.
Eyes can become sticky and sluggish working through progressions.
Must learn to throw with better anticipation/timing on the NFL level.
Hero-ball mentality creates indecisiveness and inconsistent decision-making.
Disconcerting deep-ball accuracy in QB-friendly offense.
Will throw on the move unnecessarily rather than platform up.
Passes up easy scramble yardage for more challenging throws.
www.cbssports.com/fantasy/football/news/caleb-williams-nfl-draft-profile-fantasy-football-dynasty-outlook-full-scouting-report-more/
*Ton of info in this one, chopped a lot out.
Caleb Sequan Williams was born on Nov. 18, 2001, in the Washington D.C. area to Carl Williams and Dayna Price. Both parents were athletically inclined (the father owns a performance center in the D.C. area that trained Williams), so it wasn't too long before Williams was playing sports. Three years before he played any high school football, Williams was a running back in youth leagues who convinced himself -- and his parents -- that he had the arm strength to play quarterback. With the help of trainers at his father's facility along with quarterback coaches and a dietician, Williams laid the foundation to become an NFL prospect as a quarterback.
Age as of Week 1: 22 | Height: 6-foot-1 | Weight: 215 | 40-time: n/a
Comparable body-type to: Jalen Hurts
We're breaking down everything you need to know about Williams from a Fantasy manager perspective, including best fits, Dynasty outlook, measurables, scouting report, key stats, and an NFL comparison.
Chicago Bears
Chicago's new playcaller is Shane Waldron, a disciple off the Kyle Shanahan/Sean McVay coaching tree but also someone who was a small part of Bill Belichick and Charlie Weis' staffs in New England and then Notre Dame. That suggests Waldron has had exposure to multiple types of offenses and should be able to glue elements of what he likes into the Air Raid-style system Williams has been running his whole life. I'd imagine Waldron would add plenty of RPOs, work up more formations and motion to keep pro defenses from keying in on anything Williams would do, something Lincoln Riley did a little bit of at USC. Additionally, there's a good chance Waldron and Williams' paths crossed during Williams' time at the QB Collective training camps held every summer. The bottom line is that Waldron is a capable playcaller who would get plenty out of Williams with priority targets to D.J. Moore and whoever the second wide receiver would end up being. The biggest issue: How long will Waldron stay with the Bears? If they stink in 2024 he could get fired, if they do great in 2024 he could move on to being a head coach by 2025 or 2026.
Scouting report
Strengths
Strong legs and thick lower body provide a terrific base for him to throw from every time. Solidly built upper body with long arms generates his arm strength and quick release.
Polished, well-trained footwork that usually was in sync with his hips and eyes as he went through his progressions.
Mahomes-esque with varying arm angles and usually quick releases when he threw. Frequently had a typical arm slot and release point but would use a sidearm a few times each game along with a rare Kent Tekulve-style submariner release, especially when throwing a screen.
Able to make full-field reads, frequently going through his progressions until he picked a target. Not only was superior at this when pass rush pressure wasn't on him but frequently kept his eyes downfield regardless of the play situation.
Had savvy eye discipline that helped him freeze safeties enough to keep his intended target open and available.
Live, talented arm that NFL coaches crave. No questions whatsoever about Williams' cannonesque arm strength.
the endzone view provides an aesthetically pleasing angle of this Caleb Williams moon ball pic.twitter.com/ypK5nnpyCF
Advanced stats to know
Over three seasons Williams threw 12.1% of his targets to running backs, 72.5% to wide receivers and 9.7% to tight ends. That's by design in the Air Raid offense.
Had just three successful final-drive comebacks in college (one in each season). Of his 24 wins as the team's primary QB, 15 were by more than one score. Of his 10 losses as a starter, four were by one-score with two failed final-drive comeback attempts.
Among the "big five" prospects in this year's draft (Williams, Drake Maye, Jayden Daniels, J.J. McCarthy and Michael Penix), Williams was tied for second-best in off-target rate (10.1%), second in yards per attempt (9.4) and TD rate (7.7%), third in completion rate (68.6%) and rate of passes with 20-plus Air Yards (16.9%), and third in interception rate (1.29%). He also had the lowest Average Depth of Target (8.5 yards).
The two metrics Williams led the "big five" in involved pass rush pressure -- he felt it the most (33.6%) and had the highest sack rate (8.3%). He was not blitzed the most -- in fact he was blitzed at the second-lowest rate (27.4%).
Williams was credited with getting pressured on 102 pass attempts in 2023 (33.6% of his dropbacks). He completed 47.1% of those attempts with a 15.7% off-target rate (both third among the "big five") for 7.2 yards per attempt (second-lowest among the "big five") on an 8.6 ADOT (lowest among the "big five") with a 7.84% TD rate (third among the "big five").
When pressured and throwing short (under 4 Air Yards), Williams had a 39.1% completion rate, a mystifying number but somehow better than Penix (35.4%) and Maye (31.8%).
When Williams wasn't pressured and tried passes of 15-plus Air Yards, he was top 12 in the nation in completion rate (53.2%), but still no better than third among the "big five."
Overall, Williams was seventh-best in the nation in completion rate on throws of 15-plus Air Yards (52.9%) with a 17.2% TD rate (top 10) with decent results in INT rate (3.45%) and off-target throws (29.9%).
Had four throws of over 50 Air Yards over the past two seasons including one of 59 Air Yards to Jordan Addison in 2022 that was overthrown. Had another 24 pass attempts over the last two seasons between 40 and 49 Air Yards.
On quick throws (2.5 seconds or less), Williams completed 81.2% of his throws for 8.2 yards per attempt, a 4.5 ADOT, a 6.4% TD rate, and a 0.5% INT rate. On throws that weren't out quick (2.51 seconds or more), Williams completed 55.3% of his throws for 10.6 yards per attempt, a 12.7 ADOT, a 9.04% TD rate, and a 2.1% INT rate. He was pressured on a jaw-dropping 52.7% of those long-timed throws.
In the red zone, Williams completed 67.3% of his throws with a 25.45% TD rate; 7.3% of his throws were deemed off-target. Only the TD rate was not best among the "big five." Williams was not intercepted one time in the red zone in 2023 and only once in three seasons and 178 pass attempts. This is excellent.
While his accuracy and ball placement were generally good, Williams was understandably more off-target when throwing deep passes. On throws of 15-plus Air Yards Williams had an off-target rate of 29.9% in 2023 (and 37.4% in 2022). To quantify that, he was a little more off-target on those throws last season than the FBS average of quarterbacks with at least 200 pass attempts. Of note, Jayden Daniels (13.3%!), Bo Nix, J.J McCarthy, Spencer Rattler and Drake Maye all had lower off-target rates. Daniels, Nix and McCarthy all had higher completion rates on those throws.
Had 375 yards on 64 attempts on easy throws -- quick outs, WR screens, backfield outs and shovel passes (both were second-most among the "big five").
21 snaps from under center in 2023 (45th most in the nation; second-fewest among the "big five").
Excluding sacks, Williams had 85 carries for 266 yards (3.1 yards per carry) and 11 touchdowns on the ground (one more than Jayden Daniels).
Had an avoided tackle rate of 16% in 2023 and an explosive rush rate of 9.3%, both second-lowest among the "big five."
Scored on 19 of 33 rush attempts inside the 10, 16 of 22 rush attempts inside the 5, and 9 of 11 rush attempts at the one-yard line.
NFL Comparison
When it comes to Williams' arm strength, accuracy, mobility, coolness in the heat of battle and even escaping pass rush pressure, I think back to legendary quarterback Steve McNair. You could give the edge in size and strength to McNair, and while Williams was built in a sports training center, McNair was basically the byproduct of living in the South and getting discovered at Alcorn State. Otherwise, these two are very similar -- both had strong arms, both were accurate, both had an eye for making big plays via the deep ball or via their legs, and most importantly, both were gamers with strong determination to find ways to score and win.
www.profootballnetwork.com/caleb-williams-draft-scouting-2024/
USC QB Caleb Williams is the favorite to go first overall in the 2024 NFL Draft. What is it that makes Williams such a coveted QB prospect, and does he have the tools to contend with modern NFL quarterbacks like Patrick Mahomes?
Caleb Williams Draft Profile and Measurements
Height: 6’1″
Weight: 215 pounds
Position: Quarterback
School: USC
Current Year: Junior
By now, everyone knows Williams’ story. He was a five-star recruit out of Gonzaga High School in Washington, D.C., who joined up with Lincoln Riley at Oklahoma.
As a true freshman, Williams first introduced himself to the nation in perhaps the most dramatic way possible — leading Oklahoma to a Red River Rivalry win over Texas with 300 total yards and three total touchdowns off the bench.
Already, there was a feeling that, with Williams, the world was watching greatness. And he proved that feeling right over the next two years.
In 2022, Williams followed Riley to the USC Trojans and won the Heisman Trophy after completing 333 of 500 attempts for 4,537 yards, 42 touchdowns, and five interceptions while also running for 382 yards and 10 scores.
In 2023, though the Trojans fell to 7-5, Williams showed off his magic once again, throwing for 3,633 yards, 30 touchdowns, and just five interceptions.
A three-interception first half in a loss to Notre Dame reminded us that Williams is human. But outside of that game, Williams was electric in 2023, and he remains a franchise QB in waiting. His scouting report shows why.
Caleb Williams Scouting Report
Strengths
Has hyper-elite composite arm talent, with 90th-percentile arm strength and elasticity.
Rips passes with laser-like velocity into the short, intermediate, and deep ranges.
Can rifle throws into rapidly closing windows and effortlessly layer velocity and touch.
Can torque his hips and generate elite velocity off-platform, even when rolling left.
Has all-encompassing angle freedom and can elongate throwing windows with elasticity.
Near-generational creator with incredible sense, spatial awareness, agility, and control.
Effortless off-platform throwing ability makes him a constant danger as a passer.
Instinctively finds mechanical congruence on release, which yields great areal accuracy.
Senses pressure well and knows how to manage the pocket and set up optimal spacing.
Sound decision maker on RPOs and a reliable, high-discretion conductor of the offense.
Flashes ideal composure and poise with little fat on pocket depth and can climb lanes.
Natural field processor who can adequately anticipate breaks on short hitches and curls.
Off-script assassin with rare leverage processing and advantage ID as a moving passer.
Has shown he can progress left to right and quickly shift forward from read to read.
Fearless competitor who combines uncommon feel with competitiveness and resolve.
Weaknesses
Has great frame density for his size but is around average stature for a QB.
Is more smooth than explosive as an athlete and isn’t quite an elite pure run threat.
Sometimes fails to anticipate windows over the middle, leaving opportunities untested.
Occasionally experiences delays between his diagnosis and trigger on second reads.
Hesitation, missed initial reads, and big-game hunting can invite unnecessary chaos.
Falls to arm arrogance when pressured at times, aiming to force ill-advised passes.
Adrenaline of high-pressure moments can cause lapses in situational awareness.
Occasionally drifts too far back when faced with interior pressure, boxing himself in.
Footwork can be a bit undisciplined, at times causing fluctuations in situational precision.
Can experience lapses in ball security when attempting to create under pressure.
Current Draft Projection and Summary
Williams grades out as a top-five prospect and a legitimate QB1 contender in the 2024 NFL Draft. He’s a blue-chip QB talent, who along with North Carolina’s Drake Maye is very much worthy of the No. 1 overall pick. He could be a franchise-changing presence.
At 6’1″, 215 pounds, Williams is one of the most prolific, natural creators to hit the NFL Draft circuit over the past decade. At times, he resembles a magician with his ability to control the field and make something out of nothing.
Not only is Williams a fluid athlete with impressive change of direction, play strength, and functional speed, but he has uncommon instincts as a creator in space, and his effortless off-platform throwing ability makes him a two-phase threat from snap to whistle.
Williams creates at a level rarely seen, but he also has the traits to win as a passer, both from within and outside the pocket. He’s a good processor who has great leverage IQ and pressure sense. And unlike many creators, he doesn’t bail from the pocket to a fault. He knows how to manage his spacing and manipulate throwing windows under center.
Williams’ combination of creation ability and hyper-elite arm talent is his most marketable trait, and contrary to a prevalent belief, Williams doesn’t force passes or invite risk by nature.
As a passer, he’s actually fairly measured, with good discretion and risk propensity. He directs the RPO game well and takes calculated risks.
However, some of Williams’ negative tendencies — some of which contribute to him holding the ball too long — can naturally bring about situations where risk is elevated. Williams is a natural at navigating those situations, but even he isn’t averse to arm arrogance and ill-advised throws.
Williams can still be more consistent at identifying and triggering on early opportunities in the short range. And while he has shown he can anticipate middle-of-field windows before, he can still be more consistent in that regard. As an NFL processor and anticipator, he may need a slight acclimation period working out of USC’s spread attack.
That said, even if USC’s offense forced Williams to work vertically and hold the ball at times, the necessary processing building blocks are visible on tape. He’s an ultimate competitor who gives everything he has.
Overall, Williams’ accuracy, discretion, control, and RPO utility give him a relatively high operational floor. His unique creative propensity allows him to withstand adversity, and he undoubtedly has the arm velocity, elasticity, and free-platform throwing ability to elevate an offense and help an NFL team contend.
www.nfl.com/prospects/caleb-williams/32005749-4c17-6897-a516-9754023602e6
Caleb Williams
Prospect Info
COLLEGE USC
HOMETOWN Washington, D.C.
CLASS Junior
HEIGHT 6’ 1’’
WEIGHT 214 lbs
ARM 32’’
HAND 9 3/4’’
Grade 6.76 1st yr starter
Next Gen stats grade 96, elite
Overview
Williams’ play is highlighted by rare escapability paired with the talent to exploit defenses once the play breaks down. He’s not tall, but he is well-built, with an arm to challenge defenses across the field. He can be a high-impact playmaker on the go or an effective pocket passer when he allows himself to trust his eyes on second and third reads. He can improve his accuracy and placement on intermediate and deep throws, but he’s unlikely to be known for pinpoint accuracy. It is admirable that he looks to keep his eyes up and make throws outside the pocket, but he’ll make things easier on himself early in his pro career by becoming a more decisive scrambler to move the sticks and carry on to the next set of downs. Williams is tremendously talented but often bites off too much responsibility and plays off-schedule. He has a good chance to hit new heights with a surrounding cast he trusts, but greater self-discipline and a well-structured offense might be needed to help him become a quarterback who can elevate a franchise to championship contention.
Strengths
Forced to keep his team in games with high-end production and did so.
Better consistency projected with pro targets who separate.
Rapid-fire transition from fake to throw on RPOs.
Twitchy release helps generate heat on drive throws.
Puts enough pace on the ball to challenge safeties to a variety of spots.
Will reset his pocket to create better throwing angles.
Much improved at getting air under deep throws in 2023.
Touchdown-to-interception ratio of 46:1 in red zone since the start of 2022 season, per Pro Football Focus.
Keeps his eyes and arm alive when leaving the pocket.
Rare talent to feel pressure, escape and extend the play.
Weaknesses
Averse to playing throw-and-catch football on schedule.
Eyes can become sticky and sluggish working through progressions.
Must learn to throw with better anticipation/timing on the NFL level.
Hero-ball mentality creates indecisiveness and inconsistent decision-making.
Disconcerting deep-ball accuracy in QB-friendly offense.
Will throw on the move unnecessarily rather than platform up.
Passes up easy scramble yardage for more challenging throws.
www.cbssports.com/fantasy/football/news/caleb-williams-nfl-draft-profile-fantasy-football-dynasty-outlook-full-scouting-report-more/
*Ton of info in this one, chopped a lot out.
Caleb Sequan Williams was born on Nov. 18, 2001, in the Washington D.C. area to Carl Williams and Dayna Price. Both parents were athletically inclined (the father owns a performance center in the D.C. area that trained Williams), so it wasn't too long before Williams was playing sports. Three years before he played any high school football, Williams was a running back in youth leagues who convinced himself -- and his parents -- that he had the arm strength to play quarterback. With the help of trainers at his father's facility along with quarterback coaches and a dietician, Williams laid the foundation to become an NFL prospect as a quarterback.
Age as of Week 1: 22 | Height: 6-foot-1 | Weight: 215 | 40-time: n/a
Comparable body-type to: Jalen Hurts
We're breaking down everything you need to know about Williams from a Fantasy manager perspective, including best fits, Dynasty outlook, measurables, scouting report, key stats, and an NFL comparison.
Chicago Bears
Chicago's new playcaller is Shane Waldron, a disciple off the Kyle Shanahan/Sean McVay coaching tree but also someone who was a small part of Bill Belichick and Charlie Weis' staffs in New England and then Notre Dame. That suggests Waldron has had exposure to multiple types of offenses and should be able to glue elements of what he likes into the Air Raid-style system Williams has been running his whole life. I'd imagine Waldron would add plenty of RPOs, work up more formations and motion to keep pro defenses from keying in on anything Williams would do, something Lincoln Riley did a little bit of at USC. Additionally, there's a good chance Waldron and Williams' paths crossed during Williams' time at the QB Collective training camps held every summer. The bottom line is that Waldron is a capable playcaller who would get plenty out of Williams with priority targets to D.J. Moore and whoever the second wide receiver would end up being. The biggest issue: How long will Waldron stay with the Bears? If they stink in 2024 he could get fired, if they do great in 2024 he could move on to being a head coach by 2025 or 2026.
Scouting report
Strengths
Strong legs and thick lower body provide a terrific base for him to throw from every time. Solidly built upper body with long arms generates his arm strength and quick release.
Polished, well-trained footwork that usually was in sync with his hips and eyes as he went through his progressions.
Mahomes-esque with varying arm angles and usually quick releases when he threw. Frequently had a typical arm slot and release point but would use a sidearm a few times each game along with a rare Kent Tekulve-style submariner release, especially when throwing a screen.
Able to make full-field reads, frequently going through his progressions until he picked a target. Not only was superior at this when pass rush pressure wasn't on him but frequently kept his eyes downfield regardless of the play situation.
Had savvy eye discipline that helped him freeze safeties enough to keep his intended target open and available.
Live, talented arm that NFL coaches crave. No questions whatsoever about Williams' cannonesque arm strength.
the endzone view provides an aesthetically pleasing angle of this Caleb Williams moon ball pic.twitter.com/ypK5nnpyCF
Advanced stats to know
Over three seasons Williams threw 12.1% of his targets to running backs, 72.5% to wide receivers and 9.7% to tight ends. That's by design in the Air Raid offense.
Had just three successful final-drive comebacks in college (one in each season). Of his 24 wins as the team's primary QB, 15 were by more than one score. Of his 10 losses as a starter, four were by one-score with two failed final-drive comeback attempts.
Among the "big five" prospects in this year's draft (Williams, Drake Maye, Jayden Daniels, J.J. McCarthy and Michael Penix), Williams was tied for second-best in off-target rate (10.1%), second in yards per attempt (9.4) and TD rate (7.7%), third in completion rate (68.6%) and rate of passes with 20-plus Air Yards (16.9%), and third in interception rate (1.29%). He also had the lowest Average Depth of Target (8.5 yards).
The two metrics Williams led the "big five" in involved pass rush pressure -- he felt it the most (33.6%) and had the highest sack rate (8.3%). He was not blitzed the most -- in fact he was blitzed at the second-lowest rate (27.4%).
Williams was credited with getting pressured on 102 pass attempts in 2023 (33.6% of his dropbacks). He completed 47.1% of those attempts with a 15.7% off-target rate (both third among the "big five") for 7.2 yards per attempt (second-lowest among the "big five") on an 8.6 ADOT (lowest among the "big five") with a 7.84% TD rate (third among the "big five").
When pressured and throwing short (under 4 Air Yards), Williams had a 39.1% completion rate, a mystifying number but somehow better than Penix (35.4%) and Maye (31.8%).
When Williams wasn't pressured and tried passes of 15-plus Air Yards, he was top 12 in the nation in completion rate (53.2%), but still no better than third among the "big five."
Overall, Williams was seventh-best in the nation in completion rate on throws of 15-plus Air Yards (52.9%) with a 17.2% TD rate (top 10) with decent results in INT rate (3.45%) and off-target throws (29.9%).
Had four throws of over 50 Air Yards over the past two seasons including one of 59 Air Yards to Jordan Addison in 2022 that was overthrown. Had another 24 pass attempts over the last two seasons between 40 and 49 Air Yards.
On quick throws (2.5 seconds or less), Williams completed 81.2% of his throws for 8.2 yards per attempt, a 4.5 ADOT, a 6.4% TD rate, and a 0.5% INT rate. On throws that weren't out quick (2.51 seconds or more), Williams completed 55.3% of his throws for 10.6 yards per attempt, a 12.7 ADOT, a 9.04% TD rate, and a 2.1% INT rate. He was pressured on a jaw-dropping 52.7% of those long-timed throws.
In the red zone, Williams completed 67.3% of his throws with a 25.45% TD rate; 7.3% of his throws were deemed off-target. Only the TD rate was not best among the "big five." Williams was not intercepted one time in the red zone in 2023 and only once in three seasons and 178 pass attempts. This is excellent.
While his accuracy and ball placement were generally good, Williams was understandably more off-target when throwing deep passes. On throws of 15-plus Air Yards Williams had an off-target rate of 29.9% in 2023 (and 37.4% in 2022). To quantify that, he was a little more off-target on those throws last season than the FBS average of quarterbacks with at least 200 pass attempts. Of note, Jayden Daniels (13.3%!), Bo Nix, J.J McCarthy, Spencer Rattler and Drake Maye all had lower off-target rates. Daniels, Nix and McCarthy all had higher completion rates on those throws.
Had 375 yards on 64 attempts on easy throws -- quick outs, WR screens, backfield outs and shovel passes (both were second-most among the "big five").
21 snaps from under center in 2023 (45th most in the nation; second-fewest among the "big five").
Excluding sacks, Williams had 85 carries for 266 yards (3.1 yards per carry) and 11 touchdowns on the ground (one more than Jayden Daniels).
Had an avoided tackle rate of 16% in 2023 and an explosive rush rate of 9.3%, both second-lowest among the "big five."
Scored on 19 of 33 rush attempts inside the 10, 16 of 22 rush attempts inside the 5, and 9 of 11 rush attempts at the one-yard line.
NFL Comparison
When it comes to Williams' arm strength, accuracy, mobility, coolness in the heat of battle and even escaping pass rush pressure, I think back to legendary quarterback Steve McNair. You could give the edge in size and strength to McNair, and while Williams was built in a sports training center, McNair was basically the byproduct of living in the South and getting discovered at Alcorn State. Otherwise, these two are very similar -- both had strong arms, both were accurate, both had an eye for making big plays via the deep ball or via their legs, and most importantly, both were gamers with strong determination to find ways to score and win.
www.profootballnetwork.com/caleb-williams-draft-scouting-2024/
USC QB Caleb Williams is the favorite to go first overall in the 2024 NFL Draft. What is it that makes Williams such a coveted QB prospect, and does he have the tools to contend with modern NFL quarterbacks like Patrick Mahomes?
Caleb Williams Draft Profile and Measurements
Height: 6’1″
Weight: 215 pounds
Position: Quarterback
School: USC
Current Year: Junior
By now, everyone knows Williams’ story. He was a five-star recruit out of Gonzaga High School in Washington, D.C., who joined up with Lincoln Riley at Oklahoma.
As a true freshman, Williams first introduced himself to the nation in perhaps the most dramatic way possible — leading Oklahoma to a Red River Rivalry win over Texas with 300 total yards and three total touchdowns off the bench.
Already, there was a feeling that, with Williams, the world was watching greatness. And he proved that feeling right over the next two years.
In 2022, Williams followed Riley to the USC Trojans and won the Heisman Trophy after completing 333 of 500 attempts for 4,537 yards, 42 touchdowns, and five interceptions while also running for 382 yards and 10 scores.
In 2023, though the Trojans fell to 7-5, Williams showed off his magic once again, throwing for 3,633 yards, 30 touchdowns, and just five interceptions.
A three-interception first half in a loss to Notre Dame reminded us that Williams is human. But outside of that game, Williams was electric in 2023, and he remains a franchise QB in waiting. His scouting report shows why.
Caleb Williams Scouting Report
Strengths
Has hyper-elite composite arm talent, with 90th-percentile arm strength and elasticity.
Rips passes with laser-like velocity into the short, intermediate, and deep ranges.
Can rifle throws into rapidly closing windows and effortlessly layer velocity and touch.
Can torque his hips and generate elite velocity off-platform, even when rolling left.
Has all-encompassing angle freedom and can elongate throwing windows with elasticity.
Near-generational creator with incredible sense, spatial awareness, agility, and control.
Effortless off-platform throwing ability makes him a constant danger as a passer.
Instinctively finds mechanical congruence on release, which yields great areal accuracy.
Senses pressure well and knows how to manage the pocket and set up optimal spacing.
Sound decision maker on RPOs and a reliable, high-discretion conductor of the offense.
Flashes ideal composure and poise with little fat on pocket depth and can climb lanes.
Natural field processor who can adequately anticipate breaks on short hitches and curls.
Off-script assassin with rare leverage processing and advantage ID as a moving passer.
Has shown he can progress left to right and quickly shift forward from read to read.
Fearless competitor who combines uncommon feel with competitiveness and resolve.
Weaknesses
Has great frame density for his size but is around average stature for a QB.
Is more smooth than explosive as an athlete and isn’t quite an elite pure run threat.
Sometimes fails to anticipate windows over the middle, leaving opportunities untested.
Occasionally experiences delays between his diagnosis and trigger on second reads.
Hesitation, missed initial reads, and big-game hunting can invite unnecessary chaos.
Falls to arm arrogance when pressured at times, aiming to force ill-advised passes.
Adrenaline of high-pressure moments can cause lapses in situational awareness.
Occasionally drifts too far back when faced with interior pressure, boxing himself in.
Footwork can be a bit undisciplined, at times causing fluctuations in situational precision.
Can experience lapses in ball security when attempting to create under pressure.
Current Draft Projection and Summary
Williams grades out as a top-five prospect and a legitimate QB1 contender in the 2024 NFL Draft. He’s a blue-chip QB talent, who along with North Carolina’s Drake Maye is very much worthy of the No. 1 overall pick. He could be a franchise-changing presence.
At 6’1″, 215 pounds, Williams is one of the most prolific, natural creators to hit the NFL Draft circuit over the past decade. At times, he resembles a magician with his ability to control the field and make something out of nothing.
Not only is Williams a fluid athlete with impressive change of direction, play strength, and functional speed, but he has uncommon instincts as a creator in space, and his effortless off-platform throwing ability makes him a two-phase threat from snap to whistle.
Williams creates at a level rarely seen, but he also has the traits to win as a passer, both from within and outside the pocket. He’s a good processor who has great leverage IQ and pressure sense. And unlike many creators, he doesn’t bail from the pocket to a fault. He knows how to manage his spacing and manipulate throwing windows under center.
Williams’ combination of creation ability and hyper-elite arm talent is his most marketable trait, and contrary to a prevalent belief, Williams doesn’t force passes or invite risk by nature.
As a passer, he’s actually fairly measured, with good discretion and risk propensity. He directs the RPO game well and takes calculated risks.
However, some of Williams’ negative tendencies — some of which contribute to him holding the ball too long — can naturally bring about situations where risk is elevated. Williams is a natural at navigating those situations, but even he isn’t averse to arm arrogance and ill-advised throws.
Williams can still be more consistent at identifying and triggering on early opportunities in the short range. And while he has shown he can anticipate middle-of-field windows before, he can still be more consistent in that regard. As an NFL processor and anticipator, he may need a slight acclimation period working out of USC’s spread attack.
That said, even if USC’s offense forced Williams to work vertically and hold the ball at times, the necessary processing building blocks are visible on tape. He’s an ultimate competitor who gives everything he has.
Overall, Williams’ accuracy, discretion, control, and RPO utility give him a relatively high operational floor. His unique creative propensity allows him to withstand adversity, and he undoubtedly has the arm velocity, elasticity, and free-platform throwing ability to elevate an offense and help an NFL team contend.