While it is still anticipated that Caleb Williams will go first in next week’s selection, the USC quarterback didn’t exactly leave a good impression on organizations in the pre-draft phase. Williams’ interviews with teams were rated as “decent, not fantastic” and “simply OK,” according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
Fowler points out that Williams turned down medical testing and only participated in a small number of interviews, where he fell short of his fellow quarterback prospects in terms of demeanor and preparation. Several teams, understandably, surmised that this was a “result of being a guy who knows he’s going No. 1.” Although evaluators didn’t view Williams’ pre-draft tactics as a personality red flag, an AFC official thinks Williams left the door open for the Bears to make a change of heart.
He hasn’t had a terrific spring, the executive informed Fowler. He is still leading the way. That is essentially a done deal. Three months ago, though, this was a no-brainer; at least, now there’s a dialogue. Still, I believe he’s a kind and intelligent young man. Simply said, he understands where he’s heading.
According to Adam Caplan of ProFootballNetwork.com, several coaches have actually ranked LSU’s Jayden Daniels higher than the USC quarterback, maybe in part because of Williams’ offseason performance. Of course, the Bears’ viewpoint is the only one that counts, but this most recent grading change at least makes Caplan believe that Daniels will be chosen over Drake Maye of North Carolina.
Even though Maye is the underdog to be picked in the top two, he may not even be selected with the third overall choice. There is a “healthy debate” in New England between Maye and Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy, as noted by SI.com’s Albert Breer. Although the Patriots might still trade out of the third pick in order to obtain future selections, Breer asserts that owner Robert Kraft “sees this as a unique chance to grab a quarterback at this level.” The Patriots have visited with Daniels, Maye, and McCarthy, so it’s evident that the franchise is considering all of the top prospects.
Washington has been actively evaluating quarterback prospects while holding the second overall pick. It’s interesting to note that Breer reports that the team will be hosting all of Daniels, Maye, McCarthy, and Michael Penix of Washington for their respective top-30 visits at the same time. This is a result of GM Adam Peters’ San Francisco experience, when the 49ers would bring in prospect groups to observe how they behave with one another.
The Giants are next in line behind Chicago, Washington, and New England for a top quarterback prospect, with the Cardinals and Chargers probably out of the running. According to Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post and Fowler, via, there has been talk recently that the Giants may try to move backward or forward.
The Athletic’s Dan Duggan thinks the Giants have enough interest in Maye to make a move up the draft board. Additionally, the author thinks that the company isn’t too fond of McCarthy, which might mean that if the Michigan quarterback is selected at No. 6, a tradeback is necessary. Duggan envisions a situation where the Giants actively pursue Penix or Oregon’s Bo Nix in the latter half of the first round, should they decide to trade back.
