Dan Orlovsky Urges Bears To Avoid Caleb Williams For Other Top QB

Once every few years, there is one quarterback prospect that everybody agrees is the #1 option with little room for debate. It was Trevor Lawrence in 2021, Andrew Luck in 2012, Matthew Stafford in 2009, Matt Ryan in 2008, and so on. That seems to be the case in 2024, as the majority of evaluators agree USC’s Caleb Williams is the heavy favorite to go #1 in this draft. He’s athletic, instinctive, smart, accurate, and has the tape to back him up. The Chicago Bears already appear set on their course to eventually draft him.

Former NFL quarterback Dan Orlovsky has dug into the college tape on Williams for some time. Like everybody else, he came away impressed for all the reasons above. However, in his mind, the Trojans star is not the quarterback Chicago should draft at #1. It isn’t North Carolina’s Drake Maye, either. That honor goes to LSU’s Jayden Daniels, the reigning Heisman trophy winner. Orlovsky expressed this on the Get Up program and was prepared to defend his statement with reasons why. It is an interesting argument.

Daniels is overshadowed by Caleb Williams, but not inferior to him.

I did a scouting report on him a few weeks ago. He was impressive. Most people see him as another Lamar Jackson-type with a thinner body but unbelievable speed. An instant rushing threat. However, that overshadows how much progress he made as a passer in the past two years. He is much more comfortable in the pocket, reads the field well, and, while not boasting a cannon arm, can make pinpoint throws down the field. Several of his passes were NFL-caliber, particularly when attacking tight windows.

His stock also gets enhanced by the fact he did all of his damage in the SEC, college football’s best conference. Add all this up and it is easy to see why he might be a bigger threat to Caleb Williams than people are letting on. He could thrust himself into the conversation further with a strong interview process. GM Ryan Poles said he must be comfortable with the person before making this decision. If he says the right things, Orlovsky’s assessment may yet come true.