Top 5 Best Landing Spots for Quarterback Caleb Williams

Top-5-Best-Landing-Spots-for-Quarterback-Caleb-Williams

As we head into the NFL offseason and look toward the 2024 NFL Draft, much of the discussion has surrounded USC quarterback and potential first-overall pick Caleb Williams. Since his debut for Lincoln Riley‘s Oklahoma Sooners in 2021, Williams has been a projected top pick for this draft class. This has been largely due to his exciting brand of football and playmaking from the sport’s most important position.

Furthermore, he’s shown rushing ability and huge arm talent. Needless to say, giving us dynasty football managers hopes that he will be able to take his top-pick status and have it translate into fantasy production. Let’s take a look at who may make the move for the number one pick and set up Williams as their organization’s face of the franchise for at least the next half-decade.

Top 5 Best Landing Spots for Quarterback Caleb Williams

As with any player, from Dallas Turner to Marvin Harrison Jr. and Williams, their eventual landing spot and organizational surroundings weigh heavily into their long-term outlook. Last year we saw the two top quarterbacks taken back to back and have wildly different outcomes, with the Texans seemingly putting CJ Stroud in a position for long-term success. Meanwhile, Bryce Young endured bumps early in his career and will have his second full-time head coach in as many NFL seasons. In this article, we’ll try to stay on the brighter side and decide what the best possible situations for Williams might be.

Right now the Chicago Bears have the top overall pick. However, they also seem committed to Justin Fields at this moment in the process. The Bears will featured in this article, but they may not be William’s current top destination when considering current coordinators and surrounding talent. Let’s get into the 5 best landing spots for the talented young quarterback.

5. Denver Broncos

Head Coach: Sean Payton

Offensive Coordinator: Joe Lombardi

We start this list with the team that currently holds the 12th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, the Denver Broncos. Led by Sean Payton, the Broncos have seemingly soured on Russell Wilson‘s long-term fit for the team. Moving forward, replacing him with a college star in Williams would be ideal. Putting him in an offense with talents like Javonte Williams and Courtland Sutton could ease the transition for Williams. Additionally, with young talents like Jaleel McLaughlin and Marvin Mims Jr. also on the roster, it’s one of the more talented teams Williams could go to.

On the flip side, the Broncos need a new quarterback but may not have nearly enough capital to move up to the top overall pick in 2024. Unfortunately, they do not have their 2024 second-round pick. However, they do have their 2025 first-rounder, and subsequent second and thirds. Unfortunately for the Broncos, they may have to give up a talented wide receiver like Sutton plus a litany of picks to even get into the conversation with the Bears. Not to mention, Chicago may not be keen on their first picks being at 9 and 12 in such a talented class. Overall, the Broncos are an outside shot for Williams, but will likely make a valiant effort to move up for a new signal caller this year.

4. Chicago Bears

Head Coach: Matt Eberflus

Offensive Coordinator: Shane Waldron

The Chicago Bears hold the top pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. This gives them the ability to refocus their franchise on Caleb Williams as the leader, or trade down with other teams on this list and stick with Justin Fields. In 2024 the Bears will have former Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Shane Waldron in charge of the offense, who oversaw a career resurgence for Geno Smith in 2022. Notably, the Seahawks had a top passing offense that season. Personally, I think it’d be intriguing to see what Waldron could do with Cole Kmet and DJ Moore in a Williams-led offense.

Furthermore, this Chicago team is in a position where they seemingly took forward strides on defense toward the end of 2023. Teams rarely come out with the first overall picks for two consecutive seasons. It seems like now may be the time for the Bears to pounce on a high-end quarterback talent in Williams and commit to a new era while they have this high of capital.

Players like Moore and Kmet, plus a potential wide receiver at the 9th overall pick, could finally put the Bears on a winning track for the long-term future. This feels like William’s most likely destination and it would be surprising for the Bears to once again trade out of the top pick. However, there are a few other teams who may give him greater instant fantasy football success.

3. Minnesota Vikings

Head Coach: Kevin O’Connell

Offensive Coordinator: Wes Phillips

The Vikings, with an offense led by Justin Jefferson, T.J. Hockenson, and Jordan Addison, could be William’s best possible outcome in this year’s draft. However, it is highly unlikely the Bears would trade the first overall pick and a quarterback within the division, moving down to 11th in the process. The Vikings have firsts and seconds they could give over the next couple of seasons, but the unlikeliness of this trade bumps them down a bit. This team also needs a revamp on defense and putting Williams in a position where he has to control the game and slow it down throughout his first year. All in all, this could be difficult and another reason to lower the Vikings’ odds here.

On the other hand, the positives are obvious. This Vikings offense threw for 30 touchdowns in 2023, tied for the fifth-most in the league along with three other teams. With Williams adding a rushing dynamic and a team with such dynamic weapons, it’s hard not to see this team meshing well over time and becoming a threatening offense.

2. Washington Commanders

Head Coach: TBD

Offensive Coordinator: Eric Bieniemy

The next team on our list is the current owner of the 2nd overall pick in 2024. Notably, this is a fairly exciting destination following Ron Rivera‘s departure. With the Commanders missing out on Ben Johnson as their next head coach, hopefully, they’ll have Eric Bienemy stick around. This team could have an electric offense for the future after a deal for Williams.

Moreover, if this team were to offer their pick and either one of Curtis Samuel or Jahan Dotson, a deal at one and two could be ideal for the Commanders and the Bears. Luckily, the Commanders would have to attach more capital to that deal. However, the Bears could focus on building the offense further for Justin Fields and keep a top-three pick. An offense built around Cole Kmet, DJ Moore, Jahan Dotson, and Marvin Harrison Jr. is as good a new start as Fields could receive.

Furthermore, the Commanders need a new organizational direction this offseason, under new ownership and regime. Additionally, an offense built around weapons such as Williams, Samuel,  McLaurin, and Brian Robinson should give fantasy managers security from those assets for years to come. This trade also would allow Washington to control which quarterback they get, blocking any other team from jumping ahead of them.

Right now, the top quarterback is Williams and that’s likely to remain the case, meaning he would move to the East Coast and enter a division featuring current top quarterbacks Jalen Hurts and Dak Prescott. For fantasy football purposes, Williams may end up being the quarterback we want from this division for the long term. If he hits, expect Washington’s new management to do their very best to keep Williams supplied with weapons across his career.

1. Atlanta Falcons

Head Coach: Raheem Morris

Offensive Coordinator: Zac Robinson

The Falcons own the 8th overall pick in 2024 and have capital to give over the next few years. Unfortunately for Atlanta, they may have to give up Kyle Pitts or Drake London from their offense to make this trade intriguing for the Bears. If the Falcons can find a way to swing a move for first overall with solely capital, this Atlanta team may be in a perfect spot to compete right away for rookie head coach Raheem Morris. Coming along with Morris is former Rams pass game coordinator Zac Robinson, perhaps signaling a clear philosophy change on offense for this regime of the Falcons.

Last year, Robinson and the Rams scored 26 passing touchdowns in 2023 in a top-10 passing offense. Hopefully, with the threat of London and Pitts on the outside, as well as talented players in the backfield, Williams would be able to mature into a more efficient passer at the next level. With his clear rushing upside and an offensive coordinator with pass-coaching roots, Atlanta would be smart in attempting to move up for Williams.

Furthermore, Williams could benefit if the offense stayed intact. Not to mention, in a place where he could grow as a player as well. For us London and Pitts managers, and even Bijan Robinson holders, this would be a welcome fantasy addition to this team. Overall, this would be William’s best possible outcome for real football and fantasy at this time.

When it comes to a prospect such as Williams, it seems there aren’t many destinations he couldn’t make successful. Other teams could attempt to trade for this pick, such as the New England Patriots at 3rd overall and the New York Giants from the 6th pick. While many teams would be a good option for Williams, the five we listed have interesting regimes and more robust trade assets for the Bears to explore.

In the end, a team like Atlanta or Washington seems to be William’s best outcome. Largely due to their young talents around the quarterback and coaches to grow with. We saw what DeMeco Ryans was able to do with Stroud in their first year. Maybe that’s the exact type of scenario Williams will find himself in with Raheem Morris. Either way, now we wait and see if the Bears explore the trade market for the first overall. For the second year straight.

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