Many of the top-tier prospects entering the professional ranks elected not to take the field at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine. Names like Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye, Marvin Harrison Jr., Malik Nabers, and Brock Bowers decided to rest on their tape and projected draft stock in lieu of showcasing their talents in Indianapolis.
USC’s Caleb Williams did one better than his peers by not only deciding to forego throwing at the NFL Combine but also deciding he would only provide his medical information for teams with whom he interviews.
The recent backlash he has received saw an ESPN NFL Draft analyst go as far as to suggest there have been attempts to “sabotage” his character.
Is Williams deserving of this criticism, and has it actually impacted his status as one the top prospects approaching the 2024 NFL Draft?
ESPN NFL Draft Analyst Suggests Social Media Has Attempted To Sabotage Caleb Williams’ Character
During a recent episode of GoJo and Golic, ESPN NFL Draft Analyst Matt Miller discussed some of his thoughts and personal experience with Williams during his appearance on the show.
“Everyone I talked to absolutely loved him [Williams]” Miller said. After detailing a brief personal encounter he had with Williams, Miller added, “I found him to be funny, engaging, you know, confident but humble, and that echoes everything I heard from friends at NFL Network who interacted with him. Friends at ESPN who got a chance to interview him, and then every team that he did meet with told me they really like the kid.”
It became clear pretty quickly that Miller was detailing both his — and others’ — positive interactions with Williams before he quickly addressed a narrative he noticed surrounding Williams on social media.
“There has been so much almost sabotage of his character,” Miller said. “I wouldn’t even say it’s in the media, it’s just on social media.”
“There has been so much almost sabotage of his character and I wouldn’t even say it’s in the media, it’s just on social media.” @nfldraftscout on being happy Caleb Williams finally got a chance to tell his story and used his own voice at the #NFL Combine. pic.twitter.com/kbxFze9AJM
— DraftKings Network (@DKNetwork) March 4, 2024
Some may choose to take one person’s opinion with a grain of salt, but an experienced NFL Draft analyst throwing around a word like sabotage isn’t exactly common.
After looking around on social media, OutKick posted on X (formerly Twitter) that Williams’ father reportedly asked about potential ownership in his future NFL team and possibly avoiding rookie contract rules.
Caleb Williams’ father reportedly asked about a possible ownership stake in his future team, as well as whether or not it’d be possible for Caleb to avoid rookie contract rules
Seems like a lot for someone who hasn’t thrown an NFL pass yet, right?https://t.co/LB1LeGB2fn
— OutKick (@Outkick) February 29, 2024
In addition, Williams choosing not to provide his medical information to all 32 teams who were present at the NFL Combine is a decision that doesn’t really accomplish much outside of raising questions as to why he would be unwilling to provide that information at the event.
The report from OutKick itself doesn’t exactly feel all that concerning regarding Williams’ draft stock, but when combined with his decision not to go through medical exams at the Combine, it’s possible to see why it potentially rubbed some people the wrong way.
This begs the question: Could some of his recent decisions truly impact his draft stock?
Has Williams Sabotaged His Own Draft Value?
First, let’s define what the word sabotage actually means.
The definition of the word sabotage means to deliberately destroy, damage, or obstruct something. In this case, can we definitively say Williams is either intentionally or inadvertently sabotaging his draft stock as this year’s potentially top prospect? My answer is no.
Sabotage is a word that suggests Williams has done something catastrophic to significantly lower his draft stock over the last few months, which is simply not the case.
Williams’ excellence on the football field helped him earn the adulation of many NFL pundits. His high level of skill and physical ability make him an incredibly talented prospect who saw an impressive amount of success during his days as the quarterback of the Trojans. He has put a ton of excellent reps on tape, and some of his teammates have spoken very highly about him as a teammate and a leader.
Sure, his decision to not provide medical exams to all 32 NFL teams doesn’t make a ton of sense to me, but if he is willing to provide his medicals to teams he is interviewing, then I imagine he isn’t hiding something potentially harmful to his NFL future.
If you have concerns about his leadership or maturity because he paints his nails or sheds some tears with his mother after a loss on the football field, then you have that right, but I would consider that more of a personal subjective preference than an actual character flaw.
Another way to prove that Williams’ draft stock hasn’t been sabotaged is a simple question: What is the latest you actually see him being drafted this year?
KEEP READING: Despite Skipping Workouts During the NFL Combine, Chicago Bears Fans Prefer Caleb Williams
If your answer is anything outside of the top five picks, then I would need to hear an overwhelming convincing argument, which I don’t believe exists at this point.
By all accounts, Williams is still one of the — if not the — top quarterback prospects in this draft and could very well be the top overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
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