As the 2024 NFL offseason approaches soon, Ryan Leaf seems to believe quite the contrary to everyone’s opinion of the projected No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams. For nearly two years, the USC quarterback has been named the favorite to be the first pick of the upcoming draft.
However, many analysts and commentators within the industry do not seem to have blind faith in the Ohio State product. The doubts concerning Williams’ abilities took a full swing when his stats from last season dropped down a little.
This led to many questioning whether Williams should be the top prospect in this year’s draft or not. If you ask the former NFL quarterback Leaf, he would say NO!
Leaf fancies himself as a blunt and outspoken sports analyst, whose credibility has rarely been questioned. That’s why, his words of Williams speak volumes and may affect the upcoming Draft.
Ryan Leaf remains skeptical about whether Caleb Williams is ready for the NFL yet
In a recent appearance on “Dan Patrick Show“, Leaf was asked about the most-inquired NFL scenario, if the Chicago Bears take him as the No. 1 pick. Leaf’s response stunned the audience, as he claimed the USC quarterback shouldn’t be the Day 1 starter for whichever team drafts him.
If you take him [Caleb Williams], you better be under the understanding that you're going to sit him this year — and that's not going to happen. Ryan Leaf said
Though Leaf acknowledged Williams’ college stats, he also knows seventy-five percent of them are not transferable in the NFL.
The former NFL quarterback clarified that he doesn’t believe Williams shouldn’t try for the NFL, but he needs time to play as a starter especially when there’s a trophy as grand as the Super Bowl on the line. He added:
He can do the 25% at the NFL level, but he needs some time. Ryan Leaf added
While reasoning why Williams shouldn’t be the starter from Day 1, Leaf also named two young quarterbacks in the upcoming drafts who are ready for the NFL: Jayden Daniels and Michael Penix Jr. In fact, Leaf believes Penix is the best quarterback in college football and should be the top prospect, not Williams.
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