Tag: USC Pro Day

One key point about Caleb Williams at USC pro day: Finger injury from 2023 was no longer apparent

Remember the finger injury Caleb Williams had last season? It didn’t seem to be in evidence at USC pro day.

When we consider the point that Caleb Williams was very impressive at his USC pro day demonstration for NFL scouts, coaches and executives, one detail needs to be noted. Caleb Williams, who had a finger injury during the 2023 USC football season which at times seemed to be reducing his overall accuracy and precision, did not seem to be carrying the effects of that injury on Wednesday. It’s an underrated and overlooked point about Caleb that his finger injury coincided with some of his less-than-great moments at USC in 2023. It raises the question of whether Caleb was in some ways trying to compensate for that finger injury. In the process, decisions and the level of confidence attached to those decisions might not have been as good as he or USC would have hoped.

Caleb was throwing a bigger, sharper ball at pro day, a lot more like the 2022 Heisman Trophy-winning version of Caleb than the 2023 version which was certainly good, but not as good as the year before. When looking at Caleb Williams as an NFL draft prospect, that one detail — the reduced negative effect on the finger and the overall throwing motion — could be more significant than a lot of people might be willing to admit.

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Caleb Williams reflects on USC pro day, talks about Keenan Allen, the Bears, Patrick Mahomes, and more

Caleb Williams fielded a lot of questions from national, Los Angeles, and Chicago reporters at USC pro day.

Several Chicago Bear executives, coaches and staffers came to the USC pro day to watch Caleb Williams and other Trojan NFL draft prospects. Chicago Tribune reporters and other members of the Chicago media community went to Los Angeles to get an up-close look at the man who will likely play in the Windy City as a future No. 1 draft choice. With Keenan Allen recently being drafted by the Bears, and with Allen showing up at USC pro day to greet Caleb, the pieces certainly seem to be falling into place for a union of Chicago and Caleb Williams. The Bears seem ready to take the USC Heisman Trophy winner as their franchise quarterback of the future.

With all of this in mind, Caleb Williams was interviewed by several outlets at USC pro day. He talked to a lot of people and was asked about a lot of subjects. He was asked about Keenan Allen and his relationship with the receiver. He was given questions about the Chicago Bears. He wound up talking about Patrick Mahomes in the course of his various answers to a lot of questions from a lot of curious reporters. There is a lot to digest from Caleb Williams’ media availabilities at USC pro day. Here is a look at some of the main stories from Williams’ big day:

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Tahj Washington — not just Caleb Williams — had a very good USC pro day, likely boosted NFL draft stock

Tahj Washington made a great catch on USC pro day, and Caleb Williams might have set it up.

The USC pro day spotlight fell on Caleb Williams, but Tahj Washington owned a small piece of attention on one specific play. The sequence of events impressed NFL scouts and executives who were watching USC football players five weeks before the 2024 NFL draft. Tahj Washington very possibly made himself some money and boosted his overall draft stock.

Washington does not have elite size or physicality, and that’s why he won’t be picked in — one would think — the first two rounds of the draft. However, USC receivers have been underestimated in the NFL draft before. Amon-Ra St. Brown fell to pick No. 112 as a Day 3 selection in the fourth round. The Detroit Lions scooped him up and got one of the big steals in recent NFL draft history. It wasn’t a Brock Purdy-level steal, but it was still a high-impact move for the Lions, who reached the NFC Championship Game for the first time in 32 years thanks in part to St. Brown’s clutch third-down pass-catching.

Tahj Washington would love to author a story similar to St. Brown’s in the NFL, but if he improves his draft position to the extent that he could get picked late on Day 2 — in the third round — he wouldn’t be as underestimated as St. Brown was a few years ago.

Washington’s big play on USC pro day was a toe-tap catch near the sideline. The really cool part of all this is that Washington seemed to convey the idea that yes, Caleb Williams threw the ball to make the play more difficult and give Washington a chance to impress the NFL observers on hand for this USC football showcase:

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WATCH: Caleb Williams wows with insane throw to end pro day

Caleb Williams saved the best for last at his pro day on Wednesday.

All eyes were fixated on quarterback Caleb Williams during USC’s pro day on Wednesday. The presumed No. 1 overall pick worked out for a number of teams in attendance, most notably the Chicago Bears, who of course hold the top selection in the 2024 NFL Draft.

After beginning his workout around shortly before 1:00 pm CT, Williams proceeded to throw a variety of passes, from quick darts to the sideline in the pocket to hitting deep patterns on rollouts. It was a superb performance, albeit with no defense or pass rush, but he saved the best for last.

On his final throw, Williams faked a handoff and proceeded to launch a deep pass to wide receiver Brenden Rice behind his own 15-yard line on a skinny post route. The ball hit rice in stride all the way down the field at the opposite 17-yard line, traveling nearly 70 yards. The pass drew a loud reaction from the crowd on hand.

Pro days aren’t the end all, be all when it comes to draft prospects, especially quarterbacks. But Williams displayed the athleticism and arm strength that were prevalent throughout his collegiate career during this brief session. It’s just another reminder of how talented he is and what he can do at the next level. There should be more of those types of throws to come during training camp if Williams is selected by Chicago next month.

USC pro day watered down by inclement weather

Heavy rains watered down the USC pro day on Tuesday, though several players still went through the workout for NFL teams

Most collegiate pro days take place in the indoor training facilities for the schools. That is not the case at USC, a densely urban school where rainfall and weather issues are uncommon.

The Trojans could have used a protected environment for Tuesday’s pro day. Torrential rainfall across the Los Angeles area led to the event being held in water-logged conditions. There was standing water pooling on the field, obstacles that typically don’t come into play for these tightly choreographed events.

Nevertheless, all 32 NFL teams were represented at USC. No general managers or head coaches were spotted, though Bengals DC Lou Anarumo was there.

USC’s top draft talents include DL Tuli Tuipulotu, WR Jordan Addison and OG Andrew Vorhees, who did not work out after tearing his ACL during the scouting combine three weeks ago.

It’s not a bad idea for teams to see how players perform in the heavy rain, but the testing numbers for the prospects should include an asterisk for being performed in suboptimal conditions compared to other workouts.

Lions present at USC WR Drake London’s pro day

Lions senior personnel exec John Dorsey was in Los Angeles for USC WR Drake London’s special pro day

Detroit Lions senior personnel executive John Dorsey was present at USC wide receiver Drake London’s personal pro day today, among reps from other NFL teams. Detroit holds the No. 2 and No. 32 picks in the first round of this year’s draft. London is expected to go in the first round.

 

London is an intriguing prospect for Detroit. He’s got great size at 6-foot-4 and 219 pounds, but London had to skip the combine due to the fractured ankle he suffered in 2021, ending his college career short. He was present at the combine but did not get tested and instead only visited with teams during the interview process. It was anticipated that he would run at his pro day today, but instead, he opted to skip the 40-yard dash, as he is suffering from a hamstring injury that pushed the originally scheduled pro day back 10 days from April 5th to April 15th.

Although he didn’t officially run the 40-yard dash, he did participate in drills, giving scouts a closeup look at his route running, footwork, and how that ankle is holding up.

Here’s a closer look at how the ankle is holding up at today’s pro day:

London is currently projected to go around pick No. 12. If the Lions wish to select the young WR, I would expect they do so in a trade back. Although London is dealing with an injury, he will most likely be gone at  No. 32 and is not quite worthy of the second pick.