Roughly thirty-two hours before the real player selection process began, Pete Prisco of CBS Sports argued in his “who-they-should-take” mock draft that the Chicago Bears should select LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels over USC’s Caleb Williams with the first pick.
“Daniels might be slight in build, but he can run, and throw, and he’s the most improved player I’ve ever seen from early in his career to now,” Prisco said. “I know there are some critics who say he leaves pockets too soon, but that’s the curse of quarterbacks who can move.”
Daniels was likened by Prisco to two-time Most Valuable Player and Baltimore Ravens player Lamar Jackson.
Prisco stated that his analysis isn’t “predictive,” since almost everyone will go into Thursday expecting Chicago to choose Williams with the first overall pick. DraftKings Sportsbook had Williams as the clear favourite to be the first pick in the draft as of Wednesday afternoon, with odds of -20000. Daniels was at +2500, for contrast.
It is noteworthy, though, that a few NFL scouts and coaches recently agreed with ESPN analysts Dan Orlovsky and Louis Riddick when they said they would rather choose Daniels than Williams. Ryan Leaf made waves in March when he expressed the opinion that the Bears should bench Williams for the entirety of his rookie campaign.
In his article from Wednesday, Prisco emphasized that he thinks Daniels “will be the best quarterback in this class.” Williams “needs to clean up a lot of stuff for me” and “holds the ball too long,” according to Prisco.
Regarding the criticism that Daniels “leaves pockets too soon,” he admitted earlier this week that during pre-draft interviews, teams advised him to be more cautious about the hits he takes in games.
Bears general manager Ryan Poles stated on Tuesday that, in contrast to Daniels’ purported love of football, he doesn’t share others’ worries about Williams’ character, his interests outside of football, or his level of dedication. Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer said on Wednesday afternoon that he would “be pretty surprised at this point if” Daniels isn’t selected by the Washington Commanders with the second choice.
In the end, Washington might even write Chicago a thank-you note for allowing Daniels to drop to No. 2.