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By Charlie Campbell
Entering the 2022 season, I predicted that Williams would win the Heisman Trophy, which is how things worked out. Williams completed 67 percent of his passes in 2022 for 4,537 yards, 42 touchdowns and five interceptions. He also had 10 touchdowns rushing for the Trojans.
2023 Season Outlook: Williams has an easy schedule in 2023. The toughest opponents on the schedule are just past midway through the season when the Trojans take on Notre Dame in South Bend and then host Utah a week later. In November, he will see quality opponents in Washington, Oregon and UCLA.
Skill-Set Summary: There are always NFL teams that are desperate to find a franchise quarterback, so there will be plenty of teams coveting Williams to be their quarterback of the future. He has the potential to be an elite NFL starting quarterback ans possesses all the traits that are currently en vogue in the league, such as a dual-threat ability and creativity to create huge plays on his own. Williams looks like a long-term starter who has a style of play and a skill set that are similar to Chiefs superstar Pat Mahomes. Williams may not have Mahomes’ cannon of an arm, and Williams is a little shorter, but Williams is a similar playmaker with his feet, crazy arm angles and ability to ad lib or turn a bad play into a game-changing positive outcome for his team.
As a passer, Williams is a dynamic playmaker. He stands tall in the pocket, showing excellent composure and patience to let routes develop. When Williams decides to pass, he has a quick throwing motion with a fast arm whip. The most important attribute for any quarterback is accuracy, and Williams has it, showing the ability to fire passes by defenders into tight windows. Williams has decent natural feel and instincts, so he is able to throw into tight spaces, but he is also not reckless with the football. He displays impressive decision-making for a gunslinger style of player. Ball security is not a concern with Williams, who is very skilled at avoiding interceptions.
Williams shows an impressive ability to alter his arm angle to fire balls through windows. When defenders leap to bat down passes, Williams will drop his arm to throw from the side or get very creative with quick flips from a standstill, or even toss a jump pass if necessary. Williams’ off-platform throws are very “Mahomes-esque” and look very natural for him. While Williams does not have a massive arm, it is strong enough arm to let him make all the throws necessary. Williams’ arm strength is akin to Deshaun Watson’s in that he can drive the ball downfield while still putting air underneath the pass to make it drop in soft and catchable for his receivers.
What makes Williams really special is his ability to ad lib, and his creativity is really incredible. He will hold onto the ball and let routes develop while showing his excellent mobility to dodge tacklers. Williams keeps his eyes downfield while scrambling and throws accurately on the run. He is incredibly dangerous when plays break down, and he is very frustrating for defenses because they can execute everything correctly and still have Williams ad lib his offense into a big gain.
Williams also will take off running when nothing is open, and he is a dangerous threat on the ground. Williams is a shifty runner with quickness and also shows toughness to burst through some contact and break tackles. As a pro, he is going to need to do more sliding and protect himself from hits. Right now, Williams is too cavalier with dishing out hits, using stiff arms, and running through tackles. Williams is going to need to be more protective of his head, right shoulder and right arm, in particular, to avoid injuries.
Like any college player, Williams has things he needs to improve for the NFL. He will need to get the ball out faster at the pro level. While his patience and composure are impressive, he makes life hard on his offensive linemen and he gives the defensive line too much time to generate pressure and hits on the quarterback. Williams will need to get faster with his processing and field vision to help get the ball out faster. Getting rid of the ball more quickly will also help Williams stay healthy and reduce his injury risk. Along the same lines, Williams also will need to run smarter as a pro and reduce the number of hits he takes.
Heading into his junior year, this analyst feels that Williams is going to end up being a better prospect than the 2023 No. 1-overall pick Bryce Young, No. 2-overall pick C.J. Stroud and No. 4-overall pick Anthony Richardson.
2024 NFL Draft Expectations: Entering the 2023 season, Williams is the favorite to be the No. 1-overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. He looks like a near lock to be a high first-rounder.
RELATED LINKS:
2024 NFL Mock Draft: Charlie’s | Walt’s
2024 NFL Draft Prospect Rankings
2024 NFL Draft Player Previews
Fantasy Football Rankings - Aug. 9
2024 NFL Mock Draft - July 25
NFL Power Rankings - June 2
NFL Picks - Feb. 14
