Once every few years, there is one quarterback prospect that everybody agrees is the #1 option with little room for debate. It was Trevor Lawrence in 2021, Andrew Luck in 2012, Matthew Stafford in 2009, Matt Ryan in 2008, and so on. That seems to be the case in 2024, as the majority of evaluators agree USC’s Caleb Williams is the heavy favorite to go #1 in this draft. He’s athletic, instinctive, smart, accurate, and has the tape to back him up. The Chicago Bears already appear set on their course to eventually draft him.
Former NFL quarterback Dan Orlovsky has dug into the college tape on Williams for some time. Like everybody else, he came away impressed for all the reasons above. However, in his mind, the Trojans star is not the quarterback Chicago should draft at #1. It isn’t North Carolina’s Drake Maye, either. That honor goes to LSU’s Jayden Daniels, the reigning Heisman trophy winner. Orlovsky expressed this on the Get Up program and was prepared to defend his statement with reasons why. It is an interesting argument.
Daniels is overshadowed by Caleb Williams, but not inferior to him.
I did a scouting report on him a few weeks ago. He was impressive. Most people see him as another Lamar Jackson-type with a thinner body but unbelievable speed. An instant rushing threat. However, that overshadows how much progress he made as a passer in the past two years. He is much more comfortable in the pocket, reads the field well, and, while not boasting a cannon arm, can make pinpoint throws down the field. Several of his passes were NFL-caliber, particularly when attacking tight windows.
His stock also gets enhanced by the fact he did all of his damage in the SEC, college football’s best conference. Add all this up and it is easy to see why he might be a bigger threat to Caleb Williams than people are letting on. He could thrust himself into the conversation further with a strong interview process. GM Ryan Poles said he must be comfortable with the person before making this decision. If he says the right things, Orlovsky’s assessment may yet come true.
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Interesting to say that Daniels is a “Lamar Jackson-type” player. Many in the league may shy away from that, but in some ways, the Bears already have a “Lamar Jackson-type” player. However, the Bears probably should draft someone with similar skills to Fields and have them both coached in similar ways. Fields certainly could use the kind of improvement Daniels made in this past year, and they could both continue massive improvements, the Bears could be in a great position. Daniels sitting for at least a year isn’t bad, since he can build his body, but his age, and maturity… Read more »
Poles needs more draft picks for this draft. #1 pick will get more bang, and Poles can still get his QB reset. So yeah, maybe he will trade #1 and Fields, get three more starters out of this draft, and still get a quality QB to build around.
The possibilities are what these debates are about.
NEXT…..
If we are going to draft a quarterback then draft the best one. This isn’t rocket science. If Williams isn’t our pick I will be very surprised.
I posted yesterday my concerns on Daniels. Basically, it’s his frame. He is an inch taller than Fields yet weighs in almost 40 pounds lighter. I don’t want another running QB who is slighter than the guy we got. CW weighs more than Daniels at 6’1″ Now the weight isn’t everything, but the mass is, and Daniels is just flat out skinny. He’s kind of a tall Bryce Young. On another note. Daniels had one productive year. Maye had one productive year, Williams, even though down from his other worldly production in 2022 still threw 30 TD and only 5… Read more »
I am not Interested in Jayden Daniels. He’s a good kid, and has skills. But he’s just a taller, skinny, version of Justin Fields. Guys that use their legs and attack over the top and sidelines. Neither Jayden or Justin attack the middle of the field. That’s part of why Justin isn’t as successful as he needs to be. Attacking the middle is a skill that is very hard to develop if you don’t see the field in the right way. Caleb and Drake see this much better. It has to be one of those two guys for me.