EXCLUSIVE
The serious problem that ‘has to get fixed’ for Caleb Williams to succeed in NFL as No. 1 draft pick with Chicago Bears
Being surrounded by the right head coach and general manager will be critical for Caleb Williams.
So will fixing the on-field problems that held Williams back in 2023, the year after he won the Heisman Trophy at USC.
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Williams is so talented and his NFL ceiling is so high that he's viewed as a lock to go No. 1 overall to the Chicago Bears on April 25 in Detroit.
But his final college season was dragged down by a 7-5 record, while Jayden Daniels excelled at LSU to win the latest Heisman and J.J. McCarthy led Michigan to the national championship.
ESPN NFL Draft analyst Matt Miller is high on Williams in the pros.
Football issues must be addressed, though, for the USC QB to become a true franchise QB in Chicago.
"I think with Caleb there are things to his game that are rare and unique and special," Miller exclusively told talkSPORT. "There are also things that are going to have to get fixed.
"He had eight fumbles last year. That’s going to have to get fixed. He is going to have to speed up the way that he plays the game to some degree."
Williams fumbled six times at Oklahoma, losing one.
He cut down on his fumbling issues during his Heisman season in 2022, only fumbling three times and giving away one.
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But Williams fumbled a career-high eight times in 2023, losing three, while USC disappointed and disappeared from the national picture.
Chicago is so confident in Williams that the Bears traded away former first-round QB Justin Fields and received little in return.
NFL prospect Caleb Williams shown at basketball game with pink cellphone case
Williams is so confident in himself that he flashed a pink cellphone case while watching a women's basketball game, then verbally attacked haters for hating on his personal style.
"I just talked to an NFL general manager last week about Caleb and he was like, ‘Love him,' Miller said. "The cool thing is that his teammates love him.
"He is this modern quarterback who’s not afraid to (show emotion). It’s not like he’s slamming his helmet down on the sideline in frustration. He’s emotional."
In the pros, Williams must be surrounded by offensive talent, just like Patrick Mahomes in Kansas City and Brock Purdy with San Francisco.
Then it's on the expected No. 1 pick to be highly efficient running a modern offense and not try to do too much by himself.
"Chicago has done a great job of building a framework around him, which is incredibly important," Miller said. "I would say 90 percent chance he’s a Pro Bowl quarterback and he’s going to lead Chicago to a sustained run of being a contender."
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