In the 2024 NFL Draft, Caleb Williams piped Jayden Daniels to become the number 1 overall pick but just a few months later the picture is starkly different. Both quarterbacks were handed a starting role but only one has managed to rise to live up to the hype.
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The Commanders’ QB Daniels is on a two-win streak while Williams is struggling to control the Bears’ offense. NFL insider Tom Pelissero broke down how Daniels has been able to outperform Williams.
Pelissero discussed the performance of the two rookies on the Rich Eisen Show, where he claimed that while it’s too early to predict the future, the Commanders quarterback is certainly ahead of Williams. Talking about a conversation he had with an NFL Scout, he said:
“Jayden Daniels is more polished from the pocket because Jayden Daniels seems to be on the ascent whereas Caleb’s kind of been going flat over the last year in his college career. “
He explained that Daniels was a “polished” pocket player who could throw good passes under pressure but Williams was struggling because he didn’t get a lot of experience “playing from the pocket” during his time at USC.
He added that the Bears’ QB was playing at the same level as his college days and throwing some good passes but hasn’t performed well under pressure.
Williams’s struggles in the pocket were aggravated by the defense targeting him more. In the Texans game, he was sacked 7 times and took 11 hits.
In comparison, Daniels performed much better under pressure. He was pressed hard by the Giants’ defense but still managed to throw 23 out of 29 passes. However, Pelissero believes that Caleb Williams can still turn this season around.
Insider makes a CJ Stroud – Bryce Young comparison to detail rookie’s struggles
While talking about Williams’s bad start, Pelissero claimed that the rookie QB needed some time to adjust and compared his situation to the 2023 draft’s top pick Young who had similar struggles while the other rookie CJ Stroud navigated with ease.
He added that Young was able to catch up and even beat Stroud’s Texans.
Pelissero might have an optimistic outlook for Caleb’s future but back-to-back losses and a record with more interceptions than touchdowns isn’t giving his supporters any hope.
The Bears aren’t happy with HC Matt Eberflus’s decision to put Caleb on the hot seat and if they fail to turn around the season, the Chicago team might start looking for replacements.
