The 2024 NFL Draft is still about a year away, but speculation is already swirling as potential No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams is being lauded as the next Patrick Mahomes. The reigning Heisman Trophy recipient and USC quarterback can do it all from the pocket and with his legs, resulting in teams salivating at their potential chances of landing him.
Here are five teams that could use him the most and should consider tanking.
The Cardinals turned over their front office and coaching staff this past offseason, bringing in Monti Ossenfort to helm the organization and Jonathan Gannon in as head coach. Neither has built any loyalty with Kyler Murray. If the Cardinals stink again this season, as many anticipate, bringing in Caleb Williams and dealing Murray would make sense. It would allow this new Cardinals regime to bring in “their” guy. Arizona’s roster is bare, so tanking shouldn’t be too tricky, especially if Murray continues his poor play.
Since Tom Brady’s retirement, Tampa Bay’s quarterback situation is understandably in flux. Kyle Trask remains on the roster, but the 2021 second-rounder comes in with pretty low expectations. They brought Baker Mayfield in to compete via free agency, but again, it’s Baker Mayfield. We shouldn’t change our five-year sample size with him from a few flukish games with the Rams last year. The Bucs still have the talent to compete, so if they find themselves lagging in the standings as we enter December, declaring most of their impact players as “injured” should happen.
The Falcons’ rebuild has gone better than many believe. Their offensive line is one of the best in the league, and they have a dynamic trio of Kyle Pitts, Drake London, and Bijan Robinson at the skills position. Defensively, they’ll improve this year after a few big swings in free agency and the continued development of young prospects. All they’re missing is that young quarterback, which they will be experimenting with Desmond Ridder this upcoming season. Chances are, he’s not the guy, so the Falcons shouldn’t win meaningless games with him when the No. 1 pick could be within reach.
Matthew Stafford, stand up! You won your long-awaited Super Bowl with the Rams and got a nice payday, but now, it’s time for the Rams to look toward the future. The Rams stunk last year, partly due to the injury bug, but they still won’t have enough to compete for a playoff spot this upcoming season. Keeping Caleb Williams in Southern California should be the top priority this year, as pairing him with Sean McVay in Hollywood would be a match made in heaven for the Rams.
The Commanders finally got out from under the mess Dan Snyder made, tarnishing the organization’s reputation for over a decade. With new ownership imminent, a shiny new stadium in the works, and a relatively young and talented roster, Washington needs Caleb Williams more than anyone. He would immediately rebuild Washington’s brand throughout the league and give Washington a chance to truly compete in the NFC East alongside the Eagles and Cowboys, who show no signs of slowing down in the years to come. The Commanders need Williams, and given that they have no shot at a playoff spot with Sam Howell under center, they should throw in the towel to rebuild the franchise.
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