by J.T. Toth
Photo of Caleb Williams courtesy of John E. McGillen Photography LLC.
The NFL Draft talk never ends, and we are here at Draft 412 to get you ready for the next set of gridiron stars. From today until draft night 2024, we will bring you mocks, profiles, team needs, and everything else related to the 2024 NFL Draft.
Name- Caleb Williams
Pos- QB
Team- USC
HT/WT- 6’1” 220 lbs.
Born- 11/18/2001
Home – Washington, D.C.
Caleb Williams is a name that all college football fans should know. He burst onto the scene in 2021, replacing Spencer Rattler midway through the season at Oklahoma. The following year, Williams would follow head coach, Lincoln Riley, to USC to become their starting quarterback. Williams would lead USC to an 11-3 record and go on to win the Heisman Trophy Award.
Williams graduated from Gonzaga College High School in Washington D.C. In 2020 Williams was named the USA Today and MaxPreps preseason First-Team All-American. Rivals and 247 Sports would rank Williams as a 5-star talent coming out of high school. Williams would pick Oklahoma over Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, and Ohio St. as well as many others.
In 2021 at Oklahoma, Williams would start as a backup to Spencer Rattler. Rattler was at the time a quarterback a lot of draft pundits thought could be a #1 pick. Williams would take over in week 6 and never relinquish the reins. He finished the season throwing for 1,912 yards to go along with 21 TD’s. Williams would also rush 64 times for 559 yards.
Williams would follow Oklahoma Head Coach Lincoln Riley to USC to become the Trojan starting quarterback for his sophomore season. Williams would put up a historic season for the Trojans, throwing for 4,080 yards, 37 TD’s, and a completion percentage of 66.0. Williams would also run for 614 yards. Add in a QB rating of 118.3 and Caleb Williams would go on to win the 2022 Heisman Trophy Award.
Strengths
The prototypical dual-threat quarterback the league wants.
Makes his reads quickly, uses progressions well.
Does a good job looking off safeties to set up targets.
A good feel while escaping the pocket, knows when to tuck the ball away.
Accuracy to not just hit targets, but put them in the best place to make a play.
Weaknesses
Not the prototypical height that the NFL looks for.
Can throw some 50/50 balls off of pressure instead of making the safe play.
Pressure can lead to him losing yards when trying to escape, so instead of a 7-yard loss you have a 15-yard loss.
Loses accuracy on the longer throws.
Final Analysis
Caleb Williams comes into his junior year as the #1 prospect in the NFL Draft. If Williams can better his numbers from last year and show some improvement in his accuracy he will cement his case to be the first overall pick in 2024.
Prediction- #1 pick in 2024.