Daniel Kelly spent four years in pro scouting with the New York Jets. He is the published author of the book “Whatever It Takes,” the story of a fan making it into the NFL.
As the debate about the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL draft is set to really begin with the regular season nearing a conclusion, teams are going to be picking apart the talent for Caleb Williams and Drake Maye for months.
Kelly is going viral this week for his scathing opinion of Caleb Williams.
Kelly ethered the presumed first overall draft pick about his sportsmanship, painting his nails, and just his overall conduct.
This time of the year is about teams doing background work and trying to get inside prospects’ heads. This is part of the evaluation process.
I believe any team considering Caleb Williams needs to think about the high risk from the neck up based on Williams actions, conduct and words that he’s demonstrated.
From painting his fingernails with obscenities aimed at opponents to refusing to shaking hands with Utah and refusing to speak to reporters after the UCLA game, Williams has given NFL owners and decision makers a lot to talk about.
Sportsmanship?
He also made a public statement after the Notre Dame game about a fan being like a sheep and referred to himself as a lion.
Will be paint some obscenity about the 49ers on his fingernails?
Will he jump up into the stands again?
Will he put down fans publicly when the microphone 🎤 is in his face after a loss and he’s feeling frustrated?
During a press conference he said, “I want to go home and cuddle with my dog and watch some shows,” (USA TODAY)
What will he say in NFL press conferences?
How will he represent his team and city?
What’s he going to say or do next?
That’s the question.
He’s much closer to Johnny Manziel than Patrick Mahomes on the spectrum. I mean that with respect and sensitivity, but that’s what I would say if I was a scout sitting in the pre-draft meetings.
What I find incredible is that more people aren’t talking about this.
Do we not care about him?
We witnessed Caleb Williams having a mental breakdown right before our eyes crying uncontrollably in his mother’s arms. To me —as a former NFL Scout, he’s the most mentally fragile player I’ve ever evaluated, quarterback or otherwise.
He has little experience dealing with adversity even by his own admission:
“I’ve never been in this situation, where I’m 7-5 and there are no playoff hopes at the end of the season. I’m dealing with it emotionally, dealing with it spiritually and physically.” (Los Angeles Times)
Click on ‘Follow Us’ and get notified of the most viral NFL stories via Google! Follow Us
And now we think he’s going to go into a team with a losing record and turn it around?
He’s 2-9 against ranked college teams on top of it all— and now he’s going to do it in a league that’s only faster and more complex?
Make it make sense.
The mental pressure and expectations will be unbearable from day one. Training camp will look more like a rock concert. Every practice throw will be followed by the paparazzi. Completion percentages in practices, all of it will become a public spectacle.
The expectations are he’s Superman, but in reality he’s 22 years old.
Statistically and on game film Williams regressed in 2023.
This is not headed in the right direction 📉
I get team fan bases wanting to win and the mainstream media feeding off that hope, but underneath that we have to care about Caleb Williams as a person more than anything. I personally feel for the young man.
He’s in an impossible situation.
Team owners and front office personnel have to consider this high risk.
Watch his post game press conferences on YouTube over the last six weeks of the season (before UCLA). Watch his body language and his eyes. Listen to his tone. Watch how he carries himself. His energy level is lower. He looks aloof at times. Look at his posture on the bench after the loss to Utah all slumped over. He’s giving us the signs. Even his team responded with more spirit and enthusiasm when QB Miller Moss made his first start in his absence in the Holiday Bowl.
The Trojans were heard reportedly shouting “We a team now! We a team now!” after the upset against Louisville.
Quote by Miller Moss. Read between the lines.
“I don’t think it’s as much about me as it is about the team,” Moss said after the game. “The emphasis is really to come together as a team. No ego, no individual. It’s all about us as a team bonding together, and that’s what we are to focus on moving forward.”
This isn’t a one off, Caleb Williams has been sending us warning signs for two seasons.
— Daniel Kelly (@firstroundmock) on X, formerly known as Twitter
It should be noted that Kelly previously championed Spencer Rattler as the best quarterback in the draft class so he is no stranger to making wild claims.
Kelly stated that Williams’ decline in performance between 2022 and 2023 is a cause for concern, emphasizing cherry-picked moments from a challenging season that concluded with five losses. As you read above, he took shots at his character
USC Trojans quarterback Caleb Williams is expected to be one of the top players taken in the upcoming 2024 NFL Draft.
Williams threw for 3,633 yards, 30 touchdowns, and completed 68.6 percent of his attempts. He also scored 11 rushing touchdowns.
Williams won the 2022 Heisman Trophy after throwing for 4,537 yards, 42 touchdowns, and just five interceptions.
