MOBILE, Ala. — It has become a hobby for media personalities to criticize USC quarterback Caleb Williams as he heads to the NFL Draft as the likely top pick.
There isn’t much to dispute about his on-field dominance, so most of it has been about his character. Everything from his routine of getting his fingernails painted before games to crying while hugging his mother after a loss has been used to assert that he’s a bad leader and a bit of a wild card for teams considering drafting him.
A couple of his former USC teammates at the Senior Bowl think that’s funny. And absurd.
“If you can go ahead and risk [not picking him] and picking apart his game and letting him fall, have fun losing your job, man,” said wide receiver Brenden Rice, son of NFL legend Jerry Rice. “Honestly, have fun. I’m proud of my quarterback.”
While it’s no surprise that Rice and running back Marshawn Lloyd backed Williams, input from those who really know him will be valuable to Bears general manager Ryan Poles as he vets the option of drafting him No. 1 overall.
Rice was flippant, but the stakes truly are that high when it comes to getting the quarterback right. Poles inherited Justin Fields one year after he was drafted 11th overall, then had the No. 1 pick last year and has it again in April. He must come out of that sequence with a franchise quarterback. The decision will define his tenure.
Williams won the Heisman Trophy in 2022 and over two seasons at USC totaled 72 touchdown passes against 10 interceptions while completing 67.5% of his passes and averaging 314.2 yards per game. He also rushed for 21 touchdowns.
Defenders who dealt with him had their hands full. Utah safety Cole Bishop described Williams as “really elusive and hard to get down.” Washington safety Kitan Oladapo called it “tough” to manage the combination of his mobility and arm strength, and UCLA pass rusher Laiatu Latu said, “I haven’t faced a QB like him.”
Everyone can see those traits, though. A huge part of the equation for the Bears will be asking the right questions to get a handle on things that aren’t on film.
“He’s a great leader, super competitive, and there’s a reason he’s gonna be the
No. 1 pick,” said Lloyd, who has played against or with Williams since childhood. “He just checks all the boxes.
“He’s a great player, great personality and great all-around human being. If you’re not around him and on the field with him, anybody could create a narrative. We’re around him every day.”
Rice arrived at USC as a transfer in 2022, the same season Williams debuted for the Trojans after leaving Oklahoma. He struggled at first, then had 45 catches for 791 yards and 12 touchdowns last season. Early draft projections suggest he could be available for the Bears in the third round.
Throughout the ups and downs, Williams was instrumental in getting Rice on track.
“I love him as a teammate; that dude’s a leader,” Rice said. “I had some dark days out on that field my junior year. I had a lot of drops and a lot of inconsistency. And he knew how to bring the best out of me.
“He sits back and laughs at all of that [criticism]. He adds it to his drive, and it fuels his fire, and he goes ahead and just displays every day that he’s gonna be a leader and attack the day.”
Those compliments, and others, sound a lot like things the Bears say about Fields. He handles everything, including the enormous pressure of playing in the Chicago market, extremely well at just 24. And while there’s no doubt the Bears will be impressed by what Williams can do on the field, they need to be sure he has those qualities, too.
