The New York Giants say they're committed to Daniel Jones as their starter in 2024 once he's recovered from a storm ACL, but beyond that is another story.
Jones, who enters Year 2 of his four-year contract, remains a long-term question mark because of his inconsistent performance and his injury history. As such, Giants general manager Joe Schoen has been frank about needing to address the position just in case Jones isn't ready and just in case his injury history continues to be a factor.
In holding the sixth overall pick in the draft, the Giants probably won't be able to grab a quarterback from the top three prospects: USC's Caleb Williams, LSU's Jayden Daniels, and UC's Drake Maye. But strange things have been known to happen regarding the draft with guys projected to be top picks falling down draft boards.
On a recent Locked On Giants podcast episode, the subject of whether Williams might fit for the Giants was discussed with Locked On USC podcast host Marc Kulkin regarding how Williams might fit in New York if he fell to the Giants and they were interested.
Football-wise, Williams is the real deal. In three collegiate seasons, two of which were played with the Trojans, the junior has achieved two consecutive 3,600+ yard campaigns marked by at least 388 passing attempts and 30 passing touchdowns.
In 2022, he became the Heisman Trophy winner by completing 333 passes for a career-high 4,537 yards and 42 touchdowns (also a career high) and adding another 113 carries for 382 yards and ten scores that led USC to a record-setting season in these statistics.
In short, Williams has a growing number of analysts labeling him a “generational talent” for his ability to make plays happen.
“Caleb Williams checks off that box,” Kulkin said. “His ability to make every throw that a quarterback needs to make, it doesn't matter which hash mark you're on, He can make that throw, and he can also throw deep with ease. He's got the arm strength and can extend plays, so when things break down, that’s when he is almost a better football player. He is literally a human joystick.”
Football aside, one concern with Williams is how he might fare in a large market such as that found in New York. From his viral emotional postgame scene with his mother to reported diva-like behavior, some wonder if Williams's tendency to march to the beat of his own drummer in certain aspects could be a turnoff to other teams.
Kulkin believes criticism is “overblown” because people tend to forget that Williams is still a young adult.
“I hate to use the term 'kid,' but we're critiquing young adults, young men, Some who are still teenagers. I mean, when they're 18, 19--technically, they're still teenagers," Kulkin said.
But he admits that the questions about Williams' maturity are valid regarding his overall package.
“There was some concern this past season [about] why Caleb regressed from his Heisman season. Did he have too much on his plate making commercials, [working with] the Heisman Foundation, and his own Caleb Cares Foundation that fights bullies?"
But Kulkin believes that Williams has the makings to be a strong leader on a football team, citing how he's admired and respected by his current teammates and coaches for his work tireless work ethic. He even went as far as to defend Williams's image by describing the type of leader he is and the admiration he earns from his teammates and coaches when the team is away from the media's microscope.
Be sure to check out the full Locked On Giants podcast featuring the interview with Mark Kulkin for much more on Caleb Williams, his core traits, what he can improve on for the NFL level, and more.
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