QB Caleb Williams Scouting Report: Can The Sensational Talent Overcome The Dysfunctional Organization He Inevitably Joins?

There have been several remarkable talents at QB in the draft over the past decade, but I’m not sure any of them are quite as good as Caleb Williams. Trevor Lawrence and Andrew Luck are the two guys you think of when discussing the top QB prospects from the past decade. Both of them had hall-of-fame potential, but where Williams might be better is his day-one impact. We’ll get into what makes him a safe prospect, but his bust potential is lower than any QB I’ve seen come out besides Joe Burrow. Many people already know Williams has a piss missile. What isn’t clear is all the little things he does so well. We all know he’ll likely go to a chaotic and dysfunctional organization, begging the question if he can overcome it. We’ll try to answer that question today and dive deep into his strengths and weaknesses.

Four all-22 games and his highlights were evaluated, and clips from his film are broken down here. All relevant traits were graded based on his film. His scouting report also factored in stats and analytics, such as PFF grades. Use promo code TREYSCHNEIDER on Underdog Fantasy to match your deposit up to $100. Please gamble responsibly and leave your feedback on Twitter @FBIntellect.

QB Stats

Film Analysis

Williams shows several impressive traits in this play in the clip above. The defense is playing cover two, and Williams has the processor to identify it and hits the honey hole. He also had the pocket presence to evade the rusher from his left and then displayed elite arm talent.

Williams shows remarkable poise here after fumbling the ball. Typically on a fumble, you just pounce on it and secure the ball, but Caleb had the guts and poise to pick it up and throw under pressure to score a massive TD. How many veteran QBs make this kind of play, let alone college prospects?

This play is an excellent example of his miraculous play-making ability. He evades the pass rusher, scrambles, and makes a silly throw while running. It takes elite arm talent to make throws like these.

In this X clip, he shows fantastic velocity on this throw. He didn’t have his feet set and still had excellent precision and zip.

Grades

OVR Grade: 1-100

Traits/ Skills

(Grades are subject to change until draft day)

Caleb Williams’ Pros and Cons

Caleb Williams Bio

• Caleb Williams has all the uncoachable traits you could ask for out of a QB. Some refinement to his game could lead to a new superstar QB in the NFL.

Pros

• Elite raw arm strength paired with a rapid release – can make any given throw
• Possesses the Mahomes-esque ability to throw off platform and cross-body
• Natural feel for the pocket and can detect blindside pressure
• Absurd ability to extend plays and make pass rushers miss
• Footwork and mechanics are a plus
• Showed he could read defenses pre-snap and adjust the play
• Flashed brilliant ball placement and is generally accurate – over 80% adjusted completion% (through week five, 2023)
• Creative playmaker who’s willing to take risks
• Terrific short-area burst aids him in play-extension and allows him to navigate the pocket easily.
• Exceptional agility and contact balance make him a tough runner to stop
• Showed he can play in the structure of the offense as well as out of the structure of the offense
• In addition to passing the eye test, he put up outstanding numbers
• Relatively clean injury history

Cons

• While you love the big plays he makes, his inability to take what the defense gives him will bite him in the butt playing in the pros
• Benefited tremendously from Lincoln Riley’s scheme, something he likely won’t have to his aid in the pros
• You’d like to see him anticipate throws better and at a higher rate
• USC ran many RPOs and drew up a lot of easy first-reads
• Generally holds on to the ball too long
• Can be a little reckless as a ball carrier and lacks ball security

Combine – TBD

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Pro Day – TBD

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Final conclusion on Caleb Williams

There’s a good reason behind this ‘tank for Caleb’ narrative, as you’d rather have only maybe seven or eight NFL QBs over him. He has this ease about him on the field, where he just looks so comfortable. Yeah, he was practically playing backyard football and still has a long way to go, but I can’t help but love his unteachable traits.

I could see him struggling on an abysmal team in year one, but he has the tools to compensate for his weaknesses. It’s hard to see him busting due to his accuracy and playmaking ability. I don’t foresee a team ruining him. However, I also don’t expect him to light the league up as Mahomes did immediately. For all we know, Caleb could not enter the draft this year. While it would be a surprise, it’s still on the table. He would still be a phenomenal prospect, but we’re all still hopeful he enters. I never evaluated Luck as a prospect, but I am even more impressed with Williams than I was with Lawrence. Barring an injury, Williams is a lock to go number one overall if he declares.