Not everyone believes Caleb Williams will be an automatic shoo-in at the No. 1 spot in the 2024 NFL Draft. In the eyes of NFL analyst and former league executive Louis Riddick, he believes Jayden Daniels is the better quarterback prospect for the Chicago Bears.
Louis Riddick Shares Why He’s Higher on Jayden Daniels
Riddick made the bold claim during his Friday appearance on The Dan Patrick Show. Patrick asked Riddick that if he were the Bears’ general manager and were on the clock right now, who would he take No. 1 overall?
“I’ll tell you what, here’s what I’m doing … Jayden Daniels is the guy I’m taking,” Riddick said.
Riddick based his pick on his belief that Luke Getsy, the former Chicago offensive coordinator, and Justin Fields’ upside have led to the Bears needing Daniels more. But that wasn’t Riddick’s only explanation for why he’s higher on the 2023 Heisman Trophy winner than the 2022 winner, Daniels and Williams, respectively. He traced it back to last year’s much-debated first- and second-pick projections.
“Last year, when the debate was raging about C.J. Stroud versus Bryce Young, and everyone was like, ‘Bryce is magic outside of the pocket, and Bryce is magic outside of structure, don’t worry about this year, think about his Heisman Trophy year.’ It was, ‘Bryce, Bryce, Bryce.’ But with C.J., it was, ‘C.J. is the guy who benefitted from all the weapons around him,'” Riddick explained.
Riddick then reminded Patrick of the criticisms attached to Stroud from draft experts, which are now afterthoughts following Stroud’s epic rookie debut with the Houston Texans.
“Ohio State quarterbacks never turn out right, he messed up whatever test they gave him and Houston didn’t like him, all this stuff,” Riddick said. “But I was one of those people who said: ‘Look, C.J. Stroud had some of the best throws I have seen in a long time at Ohio State, and the people there I trust gave me the straight and narrow about it.”
Riddick sees parallels between Daniels’ throwing ability compared to Stroud’s — fueling his beliefs that Daniels should be taken over Williams.
“The way I watched his progression from Arizona State to just this past year, his Heisman Trophy year, this isn’t just all the sudden where I’m going, ‘I think I kind of love this guy,'” Riddick said.
Riddick Even Shares How Daniels Would Be Worth This Type of Trade
Patrick then mapped out this potential scenario involving Daniels going to the Bears: Chicago swapping places with Washington.
That would mean the Commanders now get Pick No. 1 while the Bears move down a spot — further leveraging the Daniels selection to the Windy City. Riddick then gave his thoughts on that type of trade if it were to happen.
“That’s where you start leveraging relationships among the rest of the general managers. If Washington says this: ‘Because Kliff Kingsbury is there, and Kliff has coached Caleb,’ I would prefer Jayden,” Riddick said, referencing how Washington’s new offensive coordinator can have a say in this move.
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Kingsbury helped coach Williams last season while on the USC staff. Many believe the Commanders hired him in the attempt to lure Williams to Washington, D.C.; Riddick believes if both the Bears and Commanders have thoughts of trading places, then that move should be done by all means.
“If they called me and say, ‘We want to get to the No. 1 spot because we want to draft Caleb and our intel tells us that you’re considering taking him, clearly, but we want to make sure we get our guy because that’s who Kliff told us we need to take’ … then I would make the deal,” Riddick continued. “Especially in the back of my mind, ‘I like Jayden anyway.'”
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