One thing was certain when Caleb Williams came out of USC to declare for the draft. Not everybody would be a fan of his. Make no mistake, the hype around his prospects for the NFL came from many credible people inside the NFL. Two of the Chicago Bears’ most respected scouts said he had special qualities that don’t come around often. Many draft experts went so far as to say he’s one of the best quarterbacks to come out of college since Andrew Luck in 2012. Some even went so far as to call him a “generational talent.”
One person didn’t seem to buy into that narrative. Mark Schlereth is a former Pro Bowl offensive lineman who won three Super Bowls in his career, one with Washington and two with the Denver Broncos. He made it clear on his podcast, The Stinkin Truth, that generational talent means nothing in the NFL. It never makes great quarterbacks.
“There’s no question about the talent, but generational talent doesn’t mean generational quarterback,” Schlereth said. “Joe Montana didn’t have “generational talent.” He’s one of the best quarterbacks you’ve ever seen. Tom Brady didn’t have “generational talent,” but he is the GOAT of all quarterbacks. Peyton Manning didn’t have “generational talent,” but he (was) great. Drew Brees didn’t have “generational talent,” [and] he’s going to the Hall of Fame. There’s a big difference between generational talent and being an All-Pro great quarterback.”
He views the #1 pick as way too reliant on his feet to create offense. It’s one read and then scramble. Quarterbacks never get away with that in the NFL, at least not for long.
“[Williams is] one of the slowest guys getting the ball out of his hands in college football,” Schlereth added “There’s a lot of ‘if that No. 1 dude ain’t open, just go scramble around and make a play.’ That’s not how the NFL works. You can’t be a 50-50 on-schedule, off-schedule quarterback and survive in the NFL.”
Schlereth is voicing the same concerns other experts have. They worry Williams plays too much hero ball. He leans too heavily on his ability to scramble and make plays off-schedule. You can get away with that in college because defenses are slower and less disciplined. That isn’t the case in the NFL. Everybody is fast, intelligent, and well-coached. You need to be sharp on everything. No detail can be overlooked. The key to beating such defenses is knowing when and where to go with the ball and doing so in a span of three seconds.
Schlereth understands this reality. During his career, he played with some good quarterbacks, such as Mark Rypien and John Elway. Both were completely different levels of talent, but each understood the core requirements of playing the position. Caleb Williams must do the same. There is plenty of evidence to suggest he can play with timing and rhythm. He merely needs the right structure. That is what the Bears have built around him. No doubt the young QB is anxious to prove Schlereth wrong.
