Caleb Williams Had 'Underwhelming' Performance At His Pro Day
SOUTH BEND, INDIANA - OCTOBER 14: Caleb Williams #13 of the USC Trojans reacts against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the first half at Notre Dame Stadium on October 14, 2023 in South Bend, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Caleb Williams is projected to be the No. 1 pick in next month's NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears, but one ESPN analyst says he wasn't impressed by what he saw at Williams' Pro Day on Wednesday.
ESPN's Dan Orlovsky called Williams' performance on Wednesday "underwhelming," but he noted that the muted performance may have been intentional considering where he's slated to be drafted.
“It was an underwhelming performance throwing the football, but it was geared towards the naysayers,” Orlovsky said.
"He wanted to kind of almost have a governor on him and not have much flash because his tape is so flashy. I did like the fact that Louis [Riddick] said watching how he walked around and handled himself was impressive.”
Orlovsky said that over the last two seasons, the Bears have been in a lot of situations where Justin Fields needed to do more than what he was either capable of doing or prepared to do.
He believes Williams' Pro Day helped him establish himself as someone who can do the simple things, as his college tape is centered around extraordinary feats that have drawn comparisons to all-time greats.
“So when you watch the Pro Day, you go, alright, a little pulled back.
And then when you watch the two years of tape, you sit there and go, well one year he’s a no-brainer No. 1 pick, and then the next year you sit there and go, well how much of that can I bank on happening on Sundays?," Orlovsky said.
Williams is expected to go No. 1 overall to the Bears, a decision the team likely feels even more confident in after trading Fields to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
