Quarterback Prospects Make Decision On Throwing At Indy Combine And Caleb Williams Is A No
One of the storylines of the Indianapolis combine that we can all count on year after year is not only how the top quarterbacks in the coming draft throw but, indeed, whether they throw at all in front of scouts, coaches and personnel people from all 32 NFL teams.
And here we are…
Caleb Williams, the presumptive top quarterback prospect of the draft, has decided he doesn't need to participate in the throwing session scheduled for Saturday in front of evaluators, per a source.
Williams is not alone.
Jayden Daniels, the 2023 Heisman Trophy winner, also has decided against throwing at the combine.
Both Williams and Daniels have decided instead to attend the combine and interview with teams and take the requisite physicals. They have decided they will throw at their schools' pro days.
It makes sense for Williams to take this route. He's already expected to go before the other QBs, so he has nothing to gain by adding the combine throwing session. But it will, no doubt, cause some evaluators to believe he is passing on an opportunity to compete in front of, well, the entire league and on national television.
LSU Tigers QB Jayden Daniels (Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
Daniels is also passing on the head-to-head competition, but the stakes may be higher for him. Williams is giving other quarterbacks an opening of sorts to make a statement. That statement, if someone like Daniels had decided to throw, could have been akin to not being afraid to show his skills at any time and any place while the top prospect sat out.
But Daniels decided against it and will throw at LSU's pro day. Pro day workouts are largely scripted and include no comparative competition from others on the same field.
It should be noted that opting not to throw at the combine ultimately doesn't decide if a team picks a quarterback or not. At least no team has admitted as much.
Washington Huskies QB Michael Penix Jr. passes against the Colorado Buffaloes at Husky Stadium in Seattle, Washington. (Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
The Saturday on-field quarterback drills will nonetheless be interesting because multiple possible first-rounders had their representatives leak their intentions to throw at the combine.
Washington's Michael Penix Jr. will throw at the combine.
Oregon's Bo Nix will throw at the combine.
Michigan's J.J. McCarthy will throw at the combine.
South Carolina's Spencer Rattler, projected as a second-day draft pick by some, will also throw at the combine.
The only other likely first-rounder whose decision whether to throw at the combine is unknown is North Carolina's Drake Maye.
Maye is battling Williams to be the first overall pick, although most whispers around the league suggest he'll be the second quarterback selected.
It would be interesting to see him throw at the combine because he does have a reputation for having perhaps the strongest arm in the draft, as a recent throwing session in which he slung a ball some 80 yards suggested.