Ryan Poles has a decision to make once the season ends. What to do with Justin Fields. Either he will keep the veteran for another year, hoping another infusion of talent across the offense will help him blossom. Or he will trade the 24-year-old and look to start over in the draft. If it's the latter, almost everybody assumes his pick will be USC star Caleb Williams. It makes sense. He has been a standout in college for three years. Some even compare him to a generational talent like Andrew Luck.
That might be stretching it, but there is no question Williams has a lot of fans in NFL circles. However, it might not be as clear-cut as some people think. Reports persist that North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye has plenty of supporters in the league who feel he's the top choice. It's why most media outlets see them as the top two options by far. Former scouting director Greg Gabriel doesn't think that gulf is nearly as vast as reports say. In fact, he revealed on Windy City Gridiron that another name could seriously threaten for that #1 spot.
A name that outdueled both Williams and Maye for the Heisman trophy.
"Starting with the Notre Dame game, Williams struggled. His ball placement and decision-making fell off. The magic plays were no longer there, and he played with no confidence. He not only didn't look like a first pick in the Draft type but didn't look or play like a first round pick. He still could go first overall, but there is a lot of risk to taking him based on his latest body of work.
According to the Draft analysts, the next best quarterback is Drake Maye from North Carolina. Maye has had an excellent career at UNC, but he's also had some struggles down the stretch of the 2023 season. The third quarterback on most analyst's lists is LSU's Jayden Daniels. Daniels has had two excellent seasons since transferring to LSU and won the Heisman Trophy for his play in 2023. According to several of my friends working in the League, Daniels just may be the best QB prospect in this Draft."
If that weren't enough, this update from Adam Schefter of ESPN offered further hints that Daniels cannot and should not be ignored.
Daniels checks a lot of Ryan Poles' boxes.
He's an accurate passer, consistently fitting the ball into tight windows and dropping it in the bucket down the field. He makes good decisions. He had only seven interceptions across two years and over 700 passes for LSU. While his arm strength isn't elite, it's good enough to make most of the important throws. Daniels' biggest improvement this year was his operation in the pocket. Despite being an explosive runner, he never took off unless given no choice. He stayed in the pocket, slid away from pressure, and made sharp throws. One exec told Albert Breer it's the spitting image of Deshaun Watson.
If that weren't enough, LSU has a storied history at the position. Joe Burrow is a star. Y.A. Tittle is in the Hall of Fame. Bert Jones was one of the best QBs of the 1970s. Even David Woodley got Miami to a Super Bowl in 1982. Also, Heisman-winning quarterbacks tend to do pretty well in the NFL these days.
- Joe Burrow - Reached a Super Bowl in his second year
- Kyler Murray - Pro Bowler
- Baker Mayfield - Got Cleveland to the playoffs and might be 2023 Comeback Player of the Year
- Lamar Jackson - Former MVP
- Jameis Winston - Threw for 5,000 yards
- Robert Griffin III - Pro Bowler
- Cam Newton - Former MVP
- Sam Bradford - Productive career cut short by injuries
Recent history shows that betting on a QB with a Heisman is rarely a bad idea. Maybe Ryan Poles will opt for the popular approach of taking Williams or Maye. However, do not ignore Daniels. He is a serious threat.
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