With a herd of reporters waiting for his arrival, USC football quarterback Caleb Williams took to the field Wednesday for his Pro Day. With all 32 teams in attendance, Williams threw at the Pro Day. This was especially significant after Williams did not throw at the NFL Scouting Combine earlier this offseason.
The throwing began later in the morning, as Williams began warming up with his receivers and running backs, including Brenden Rice, Tahj Washington, Austin Jones, and MarShawn Lloyd when he took the field. He then began throwing some shorter routes, hitting his receivers in stride, before moving on to more intermediate and deep throws. The highlight of the session was easily his last pass when he launched the football over 60 yards down the field to Brenden Rice, who secured the pass.
Not every throw was perfect though. Williams threw too far down the right sideline on one pass. On another, he threw almost out of the reach of Tahj Washington, who had to make an impressive catch to nab the ball.
"I think it went well," Williams told reporters after his Pro Day performance. "I missed a few passes deep, threw it a little bit over their heads, so I didn't give him enough room for error with the ball flight. I missed a pass right-low to Austin Jones. I threw it a little bit behind him."
"I wanted to come out here and put on a show, but I've been working on training for this next step," Williams said. "I've been working on preparing for the actual season"
Williams has noted that his preparation for the NFL hasn't just included focusing on mechanics but getting in the right shape as well. In particular, Williams is getting ready for the reality many NFL rookie quarterbacks face — getting hit.
"Yeah, I'm getting ready for big fellas," Williams said. "I'm about to 217 right now. I normally play at this weight, so I'll be I'll be at this weight for the rest of the year ... weight wise, been able to take a hit because you're gonna take a few, especially early on."
Overall, Williams appeared to confirm what was already expected at this Pro Day. He showcased his arm, and his talent, and did nothing to hurt his stock heading into the 2024 NFL Draft. As a whole, the Pro Day seemed to show that Williams is right on the trajectory toward becoming that No. 1 pick.
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