NFL coach thinks Bears could take a better player than Caleb Williams in the first round of the draft
Right now, per BetMGM, Caleb Williams is the -10000 favorite to be drafted No. 1 overall by the Chicago Bears, whereas second-place Jayden Daniels is +3000. The disparity between the No. 1 odds and No. 2 odds is absolutely wild.At this point, it's pretty much a lock and it won't be a surprise if we […]
Right now, per BetMGM, Caleb Williams is the -10000 favorite to be drafted No. 1 overall by the Chicago Bears, whereas second-place Jayden Daniels is +3000. The disparity between the No. 1 odds and No. 2 odds is absolutely wild.
At this point, it's pretty much a lock and it won't be a surprise if we something akin to the Houston Texans' decision to sign Mario Williams before the 2006 NFL Draft.
But, should the Bears maybe consider taking another quarterback, specifically the Hesiman Trophy winner in Daniels, instead?
One NFL head coach believes so, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.
The Commanders have been highly impressed with Daniels' abilities, and they are not alone. One NFL head coach whose team is not in the quarterback market said he would take Daniels over Caleb Williams (USC), who is expected to be drafted No. 1 by the Bears. "It's a no-brainer to me," the coach said. "Jayden looks like the best guy in this draft." – Adam Schefter, ESPN
There are plenty of coaches and scouts that love Daniels' current trajectory and it's easy to fall in love with his dynamic, playmaking ability – especially his deep ball. I don't think I've heard anyone go as far to say he's the draft's best player. Regardless of anonymity.
Another big key with Daniels is his work ethic and willingness to be coached up, and then applying said coaching on the field. ESPN draft expert, Todd McShay, recently provided an awesome example of just that when he appeared on the most recent episode of the God Bless Football podcast.
"I'm talking to [LSU head coach Brian Kelly] and he's like, 'Listen, here's the thing with Jayden, he's gonna be special.'", said McShay. "And I hadn't quite seen it yet… He goes, 'I promise you. He can throw accurately, he can see it, [and] he can read it. It doesn't always look like he can [but] I promise you, he can see the field [and] he goes through progressions quickly. And he can throw with anticipation.
"… 'Here's the problem. He doesn't trust it yet. If the receiver's gonna break, instead of throwing it that split second before he breaks or just trusting the receiver's gonna be where he needs to be and putting it in a spot to lead him – he has to see it come up. I need him to pull the trigger.'
"… It's first play of the 2022 LSU-Tennessee game, I'll never forget. LSU designed a throw, it was a comeback route and… I could hear Brian now say, 'Hey, I don't give a shit if it's picked off, I don't care what happens on this play, you're gonna throw to this receiver on a comeback route, trust it and throw it.' And he [Daniels] did. And it was a completion around the sideline.
"… From that moment on, you saw the confidence build and he became a guy who's a great athlete with a good arm and can make special plays, to a guy who could actually trust his reads and get into a progression and go through the system the way he needs to. From literally that week on, he got better and better and better. To the point where I would argue he was the best quarterback on tape out of all of these guys this past year."
It'll be a major surprise if the Bears take Daniels, or any other player, over Williams. At the same time, the ball is in their court and as with all things in the NFL: never say never.
