Caleb Williams was viewed as the presumptive #1 overall pick in the 2024 draft even before the 2023 season began at USC. He’d won the Heisman trophy the year prior and had looked like a superstar from the moment he set foot on the field for Oklahoma in 2021. Nothing changed in the months leading up to the draft. After a deep evaluation process, the Chicago Bears were convinced he was the guy after meeting him at the scouting combine. They continued doing their due diligence, but GM Ryan Poles knew a month before the draft that Williams would be the pick.
Even so, no prospect is without critics. Several draft experts felt Williams lacked in certain areas as a quarterback. The most common issue is the belief he didn’t show much progress as a pocket passer, relying too much on his natural ability to scramble and make plays on the run. One person who doesn’t understand that explanation is Chris Simms. The former NFL quarterback and son of a two-time Super Bowl champion dismissed that evaluation as rubbish. When Williams decides to stay in the pocket, he can do everything necessary to thrive.
Caleb Williams already showed proof of this.
All one has to do is watch his tape from the 2022 season. He regularly made good reads and throws from the pocket when he had a viable go-to wide receiver (Jordan Addison) and adequate protection from the offensive line. Sure, he wasn’t as precise as Tom Brady, but no quarterback is at that level. The point was he had the necessary processing speed and poise to handle the chaos around him. The only reason he didn’t continue doing that last year is because the situation didn’t allow it.
USC’s offensive line was poor in pass protection most of the season. The options at wide receiver were also weak. Guys just didn’t get open with any consistency. Caleb Williams had two choices. Either he stubbornly sat in the pocket, hoping things would improve, or he did what he had to in order to win games. That meant moving around and making plays. He chose the latter. Stubborn evaluators may not have liked it, but Williams won’t apologize for doing whatever it takes to win.
Subscribe to the BFR Youtube channel and ride shotgun with Dave and Ficky as they break down Bears football like nobody else.
The beauty is he won’t have to be that guy in Chicago. He has a much stronger supporting cast waiting for him.
Bubba, Caleb has a solid pocket awareness. He’s able to find throwing windows. The guy’s stop/start is sudden. I’ve said it before, he’s an exciting runner to watch, both behind and beyond the LOS. The playbook we can run will be much larger now. If a defense is getting to our QB, we can move the pocket. We can also go to heavier formations and run it up the gut with RoJo.
@Bubba Ho-Tep, Caleb is 6’1″. He’ll be fine. If you look at USC’s offensive line he played behind in his best year in 2022 they were all 6’5″ to 6’6″ except the Center which was 6’2″. That’s an NFL size offensive line. He won the Heisman Trophy that year navigating through those trees.
Here’s to all the gushers in mid-summer. Can’t wait for the NFL freight train to crash you back to reality.
Let’s remember he still hasn’t thrown an NFL pass. I’d like an article written addressing concerns about his height. That would be a realistic article. It’s a fair question, and a biological one, if he is now staying in the pocket.. how is he seeing over all of the linemen at 6’0? I’d like to believe in him but I need to know the facts. Any thoughts?
@Scoobie: You cannot stop fighting against the neo-fascist from exSouthender (likely Philly not Chicago) or else democracy, freedom, and knowledge will be destroyed. Erik understands this too with his openness and tolerance of all.