From now until the 2024 NFL Draft, we will scout and create profiles for as many prospects as possible, examining their strengths, weaknesses, and what they can bring to an NFL franchise. These players could be potential top-10 picks, all the way down to Day 3 selections, and priority undrafted free agents. Today, a scouting report on USC QB Caleb Williams.
#13 Caleb Williams/QB USC – 6011, 214 lbs. (Junior)
Combine
MEASUREMENTS
| Player | Ht/Wt | Hand Size | Arm Length | Wingspan |
| Caleb Williams | 6011/214 | 9 3/4″ | 32″ | 75 7/8″ |
| 40-Yard Dash | 10-Yard Dash | Short Shuttle | 3-Cone | |
| DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | |
| Broad Jump | Vertical | Bench Press | ||
| DNP | DNP | DNP |
The Good
– Great mobility to extend plays at the next level
– Has three straight years of great production at Oklahoma and USC
– Has the arm talent to hit any throw and the potential to have a top 3 arm in the NFL
– Demonstrates the ability to continuously check the ball down if asked to play conservatively
– Shows great accuracy while still throwing on the run
– Played with NFL talent but definitely elevated the players around him
– Does a good job keeping his eyes down the field through the entirety of the play
– Has the arm strength to throw off his back foot or flat-footed with great ball placement
– Very, very rarely makes bad decisions
– Great throwing mechanics where he understands how to use his lower body and shoulder rotation to create torque
– Able to dissect and pick apart both man/zone coverage at a high level
The Bad
– Chose to not participate in the combine besides interviews and skipped the medical examination
– Undersized for the position being in the 24th percentile for height and 47th percentile for weight
– A worrisome amount of plays came from out of the structure of the offense
– People question his personality with sky-high confidence in himself
– Primarily played in the shotgun, which may be a hard transition to a more under-center offense
Bio
– 22 years old (Nov. 18, 2001)
– 7 starts in 11 games played for Oklahoma and started 26 games for USC
– 11,061 total offensive yards, 120 total touchdowns, 14 interceptions, and a 169.3 passer rating in his college career
– 3,790 total offensive yards, 41 total touchdowns, five interceptions and a 170.1 passer rating in 2023
– 2022 hamstring injury against Utah and a 2023 right pinky finger injury
– Five-star QB in his 2021 high school class from Washington, DC
– Created the Caleb Cares Foundation, which dedicates energy and resources to causes like anti-bullying, mental health awareness, and youth development
– Winner of the 2022 Heisman Trophy, Maxwell Award, Walter Camp Award, AP College Football Player of the Year while being a unanimous All-American
– Nicknamed “Superman” in high school for his arm strength
– His go-to warm-up song is “Ordinary People” by John Legend
Tape Breakdown
Caleb Williams is a unicorn when it comes to improvising in the pocket and throwing on the run. This play against Nevada shows off both of those traits. Williams takes the snap, goes through multiple reads and then the pocket starts to collapse. Williams starts manipulating the edge rushers by using their slowness and responsibilities against them. In doing this, one of the rushers disengages from USC offensive tackle Mason Murphy (76), and Williams is still able to make the defender miss with a simple side step. Williams keeps his eyes downfield and makes a perfect pass on the run for a touchdown. In a situation where almost everything went wrong from receivers not being open and pressure getting to Williams, he was still able to make something out of nothing. This is the type of play you look for in the number one overall pick.
— Steven (@Elspedd2) March 7, 2024
Williams has dropped a handful of snaps in his college career, and somehow, those always end up on his highlight reel. Here against San Jose State, he drops the snap, and teammate Marshawn Lloyd accidentally gets in his way when picking up the ball. Williams is able to corral the ball to then make a 47-yard throw under pressure. The ability to stay calm in this situation, be under pressure, and make an accurate pass almost 50 yards down the field flat-footed is next-level arm talent. Plays like these are why he earned the nickname “Superman” in high school.
— Steven (@Elspedd2) March 7, 2024
Williams possesses that Mahomes-like athleticism where both aren’t amazing runners, but nobody can seem to catch them. In this first clip, Williams once again drops the snap, stays calm, and is able to pick up the first down with his legs after making two defenders miss. In the second clip, an Arizona State rusher gets a free release. Williams is able to throw the defender off his back and make a run for the first down marker. In the process of doing that, Williams is able to make another defensive back miss a tackle. These plays alone are super impressive, but it gets even better when you consider they both occurred on third down.
— Steven (@Elspedd2) March 7, 2024
One of the most sensible knocks on Williams is his lack of a dominating frame. The majority of teams would like someone who is at least 6’3” and 220 pounds. However, despite his smaller frame, he can read the field with ease and make plays over the taller linemen. After the pocket collapses, Williams is forced back into the end zone. Instead of potentially taking a sack for a safety, Williams makes a jump pass to his receiver, who is open on the sideline. This pass even goes over an Arizona State corner.
— Steven (@Elspedd2) March 7, 2024
Williams continues to show off his arm talent with seemingly every throw. In this play, they fake two handoffs. One is a fake dive and the other is a fake end-around. After these fakes, Williams starts to roll out and a defender is once again in his face. Williams is able to read the field and make a jump pass across his body for a touchdown in the back of the end zone.
— Steven (@Elspedd2) March 7, 2024
Conclusion
Caleb Williams is the consensus No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 draft, and for good reason. He’s the best player at the most valuable position in the sport. Since his arrival at Oklahoma, he’s proven his worth, beating out now-draft-mate Spencer Rattler for the starting job as a true freshman back in 2021. He then transferred to USC the following year with head coach Lincoln Riley. Williams followed up a great season with a historic Heisman-winning season for USC in 2022. In this season, he set school records for passing yards and passing touchdowns in a single season. The 2023 season was a year of controversy for Williams, mainly due to the inevitable regression from the year prior.
Through all of this controversy, there’s still no doubt that Williams is the most talented quarterback prospect since Trevor Lawrence. Williams possesses all the raw tools you look for in a quarterback prospect and has most of the refinement as well. People will overanalyze Williams and see how many out-of-structure plays he made to say he can’t play in structure. The reality is that he was forced to make those out-of-structure plays due to poor blocking and a lack of consistent receiver separation.
If an NFL franchise gives him those things, I have no doubt he can play within a team’s offense. If the franchise that selects him doesn’t give him those things, he has already shown the ability to succeed despite that. It’s a win-win for the team that makes a no-brainer decision. Williams is as close to Patrick Mahomes as they get.
Projection: 1st overall pick
Depot Draft Grade: 9.8 – All-Pro Talent (Top Three Pick)
Games Watched: San Jose State (2023), Nevada (2023), Arizona State (2022), Arizona (2022)
