Caleb Williams has been unanimously declared the number one overall pick. His gameplay, the film, the anecdotes from his teammates, and his exceptional conduct during the Combine and Pro Day have earned him a pedestal that few quarterbacks get in the NFL. But as Colin Cowherd called it, this is the ‘nitpicking’ season, and whatever flaws the media can find in Williams’ gameplay will be talked about in great detail.
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Dane Brugler is the author of “The Beast”, an intensive scouting report on the current NFL Draft prospects that included him going through almost 2000 draft prospects, according to Colin Cowherd. And even his extensive research agrees with what everyone and their grandparents know.
Until now, popularly, people were worried if the Trojans quarterback would take the ‘spectacle’ route when there could be other ways out. And go for the big play, risking the ball when there might not be a need. But the author, Dane Brugler of the Athletic, notes that the spectacle plays and throws are not Williams’ biggest problems. His biggest problem is actually ball security.
“Biggest area I wanna see him get better is actually the fumbles, 33 fumbles over the last 3 years,” notes Brugler.
According to numerous stats, Caleb Williams protects the ball in the air. He has zero interceptions in difficult 3rd and 4th down throws, over the last 2 years with 200 passes attempted. It is unheard of before. But at the same time, he has led college football in fumbles as well. Thus, this could be the biggest area that the Bears would want to improve on.
It is worth noting that ground plays for the quarterbacks have become a fashionable play. The tush push and dual-threat quarterbacks have made it trendy for QBs to make the play on the ground. Thus, fumbles could be a fiercely costly mistake at the professional level. Williams will have to step up to the moment.
Author Dane Brugler Rejects Popular Caleb Williams Criticism
In fact, the NFL Draft analyst notes how Caleb’s decision-making looks surgical in the long run, saying, “There are times when he would search for the home run, instead of taking the single or the double, but other times when you’re watching the film you understand why he’s doing that.”
According to Brugler, the deviation from the norm that Williams shows potential for is soaked in his ability to think beyond the average quarterback. Brugler contends, “He has rare football awareness. He understands what the defense is trying to do, what his protection is, where the pressure is coming from and so I think there’s a method to the madness.”
So the popular sentiment around the flaw that Williams carries might not be a flaw after all. Although this analysis does indicate a chink in an otherwise clean armor for the future potential Bears QB.
But just as it is accepted by all that the USC Trojan QB will be the first overall pick, everyone also knows that there’s no such thing as the perfect prospect. Thus, the naysayers will have to keep quiet till Williams goes into the workshop and works on the flaws in his evolving gameplay.
