Potential No. 1 pick Williams declares for NFL draft
USC quarterback and possible No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams declared for the 2024 NFL Draft on Monday, he announced on Instagram.
Williams is the favorite to be the first player selected in April, with fellow quarterback Drake Maye of North Carolina expected to be his main competition.
After transferring from Oklahoma, Williams won the Heisman Trophy in his first campaign at USC in 2022. In that effort, he threw for 4,537 yards and 42 touchdowns against five interceptions in 14 appearances.
But Williams' 2023 season fell short of expectations, with the Trojans finishing the campaign 8-5. While the quarterback's production was still strong - 3,633 yards and 30 scores against five picks in 12 games - he wasn't among the top 10 players in Heisman voting.
Still, Williams remains arguably one of the most highly regarded quarterback prospects of the last decade-plus, alongside Trevor Lawrence and Andrew Luck.
The Chicago Bears own the No. 1 selection for a second straight season. Chicago traded the top pick in the 2023 draft to the Carolina Panthers, who selected quarterback Bryce Young and sent their 2024 first-rounder, wide receiver D.J. Moore, and other picks to the Bears.
Chicago will need to decide whether to draft either Williams or Maye at No. 1 and trade current starter Justin Fields, or stick with Fields and again move the top selection.