Caleb Williams is being lauded as a can't-miss talent ahead of the 2024 NFL Draft.
With his golden arm, dazzling mobility and flair for the dramatic, the USC product has been tipped for greatness since his high school days. He's a Heisman winner, a media darling and one of the most-hyped quarterback prospects in recent memory.
Yet a few red flags emerged during Williams' draft process. Those seemingly weren't enough to drop Williams from the No. 1 overall pick slot, as the Bears are expected to select Williams with the first pick April 25.
Here are some of the reasons certain members of the NFL world expressed caution and doubt when it came to Williams.
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Caleb Williams red flags, explained
Perceived character issues
Williams is an extraordinarily talent, but he's also shown a willingness to flout NFL conventions. That independence could be construed as a character issue, a nebulous term that nonetheless can sully draft prospects.
Just days before the 2024 NFL Draft, one former NFL scout told David Fleming they were concerned about Williams crying after a USC loss. That scout compared Williams to music artist Prince, but not in a positive way.
I hated it. Hated it. He would scare the s— out of me if I was working for a team. Raw emotion is great, but Caleb's thing? That was ridiculous to me. That threw up major red flags. You just lost a game in the middle of your f—ing season, and it was like your third loss in the Pac-12, and you went hugging on mommy and crying in mommy's arms? It just seems really freakin' weak and nuts.
I will tell you, he scares the s— out of a lot of NFL teams too. The book on him is he's just kind of a weird kid. One GM told me it's like if Prince played quarterback.
Look, I do not know him from Adam. I do not know him. But to me, that looked weak as s—. Really fragile.
.@FlemFile on what a former NFL scout told him about Caleb Williams:
— Pablo Torre Finds Out (@pablofindsout) April 23, 2024
"Raw emotion is great, but Caleb's thing? That was ridiculous to me. That threw up major red flags. ... I will tell you, he scares the sh*t out of a lot of NFL teams too. The book on him is he's just kind of a… pic.twitter.com/0XQXYvuZUd
Williams also drew ire after he opted against providing his medical information to all 32 teams during this year's NFL Combine, an unusual step even for prospective No. 1 selections. Williams is believed to be the first combine invitee in league history to decline his medical exams, CBS Sports' Jonathan Jones reported.
Williams explained his choice while speaking with Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio and Chris Simms at the combine, saying:
The main thing has just been, it was a decision with my family and my team and it really came down to not all 32 teams can draft me. So why give all 32 teams my personal, medical things.
There's nothing there. I played all 30, however, games I played. I've never came off the field unless my helmet came off and a ref took me off.
My thing is: give it to the teams that are going to pursue me. All my visits, I'll be doing medicals but just decided not to do them here.
Here’s Caleb Williams talking about his decision to skip the medical testing at the Scouting Combine. pic.twitter.com/xfKVIh1duX
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) March 1, 2024
His stance spurned the conventional NFL process. Couple that with a vocal team and it's clear Williams cuts against the grain, which could draw trepidation from some front offices.
Williams did provide the Bears with his medicals in the weeks following the draft, so the issue was potentially overblown, as he is still expected to be selected No. 1 overall.
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Carl Williams
The 22-year-old quarterback isn't the biggest question mark in his camp. That title belongs to his father Carl, a man who has been preparing his son for an NFL career since childhood.
The elder Williams plays a pivotal role in his son's day-to-day affairs. He even contacted agents to see if Caleb could scoop up a minority ownership stake in whichever team drafted him, per The Athletic. (Aaron Rodgers made a similar request, per Pro Football Talk, but NFL owners voted to ban such a move.)
So even before Caleb Williams takes his first NFL snap, Carl is a controversial figure.
Connected to Carl Williams' control over his son's career is the Caleb's lack of an agent. Carl Williams is wary of agents, and his son still does not have one as the NFL Draft approaches.
Carl Williams manages many aspects of Caleb's life off the gridiron. And he isn't afraid to offer soundbites about the NFL draft process, his son's business holdings and more. His strong connection to Caleb represents an unknown quantity for NFL teams as they look to gauge Williams as a top prospect.
MORE: What to know about Caleb Williams' dad before the 2024 NFL Draft
On-field concerns
Williams is an elite prospect. He grades out more than favorably when compared to other starting talent across the NFL.
But that doesn't mean he's without faults, though. Some, including ESPN's Dan Orlovsky, questioned whether his listed height and weight — 6-1, 210 pounds — are correct. Given the lack of consistent success for undersized QBs who have gone No. 1 overall in recent years — think Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray and, most recently, Bryce Young — perhaps Williams' lack of size would give a team pause, especially when compared with the more imposing Drake Maye and Jayden Daniels.
Those concerns were mostly put to rest at the NFL Combine, where Williams measured 6--0 7/8 inches and weighed 217 pounds. Williams lacks prototypical size at the position, but isn't as short as some of the top quarterbacks who have struggled upon reaching the NFL.
Williams is also known to be a wizard in impromptu situations. When the pocket collapses and he's forced to make a play, he tends to conjure up long-dormant spells to propel his offense towards the promised land, similar to Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson, among others.
Can he handle the responsibility when placed in a rigid, unmoving system, however? He wasn't called upon to do that in spades in Lincoln Riley's offense. Given his talent level and impressive skillset, it might prove challenging to rein him in during the opening stages of his career.
Ultimately, those issues did not scare off the Bears. The team felt comfortable enough with the top pick that it traded away Justin Fields in the weeks leading up to the draft.
That sets the Bears up to select Williams with the No. 1 overall pick Thursday. While some of those issues won't disappear the moment the Bears make the pick, the team felt comfortable enough with Williams' perceived red flags to place the franchise in his hands.
