The Detroit Lions were not going to draft a quarterback in 2024. They had Jared Goff, who was a Pro Bowler. Still, smart teams always do their homework. Ben Johnson spent time that spring looking into the top quarterbacks of that class. He immediately knew it would be one of the strongest in years. The two names at the top were Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels. Johnson had no idea at the time, but he would end up coaching one of them less than a year later.
Johnson was asked about his assessment of Williams during that pre-draft process. He didn't mince words. The Chicago Bears head coach saw a great athlete who could escape trouble better than anybody and boasted elite arm strength. Williams was one of the biggest reasons Johnson wanted the Bears job.
While he was interested in Caleb's talent, Johnson knew he'd have to determine if the quarterback had the intelligence and work ethic to reach his full potential. In their few months together, the head coach has gotten everything he could've asked for. Those rumors of possible tension between the two appear dead.
Ben Johnson is developing Williams in the exact areas needed.
He knew from the start that scrambling and improvisation were nothing to worry about. Caleb has a natural instinct for that. Few quarterbacks can do what he does. Ben Johnson knew his goal was to teach Williams the finer points of the position: pocket awareness, footwork, timing, pre-snap reads, post-snap reads, and knowing when to get rid of the ball. These were all major issues last year, which led to 68 sacks and way too many stalled drives. Williams has exhibited significant growth in only the past month, drastically increasing his sack avoidance and playing much smoother from the pocket.
That Johnson has managed to get this much so quickly should tell you how bad the coaching was last season. It feels like the two are great for each other. Things will only get better as Williams' mastery of the offense grows. If they figure out the running game along the way? Look out.
