USC Football: NFL Powerhouse Angling To Trade Up In Draft For Caleb Williams?

Sean Payton might have his eyes on Caleb Williams.

Could Caleb Williams be a Denver Bronco?

It's no surprise that the Denver Broncos weren't exactly pleased with the performance they got out of Russell Wilson in 2023, and now it's likely that they will be targeting a new quarterback.

Some reports have indicated that Broncos coach Sean Payton is aiming to trade up in the upcoming 2024 NFL draft for one of the top NFL quarterbacks -- including USC's Caleb Williams. The report also suggested that the Broncos could target UNC's Drake Maye or LSU's Jayden Daniels, per Tony Pauline of Sportskeeda. 

Williams of course has been one of the most sought-after draft prospects in recent memory, with the NFL world joking about "tanking for Williams" before his junior season even began. His final Trojans season did not disappoint. After Williams won the Heisman Trophy during his sophomore campaign, he followed it up by throwing for 3,333 yards and 30 touchdowns and five interceptions while also running for 11 touchdowns.

However, it's hard to see the Broncos being able to trade up for Williams or one of their two other reported top options because the top-three teams in the draft are all seen as quarterback-needy. The Broncos have the No. 12 pick in the draft, so they are far from where Williams will likely be taken.

The Chicago Bears, Washington Commanders and New England Patriots are the first three teams picking this season, and no one would be surprised if they all took a quarterback. This means that they are unlucky to trade down or trade with the Broncos, and give up their own chance to take a quarterback.

One possibility that could give the Broncos an opportunity to trade up and draft a top passer like Williams is if the Bears opt to stick with Justin Fields at quarterback. Fields may have shown enough for the Bears to want to keep him, but the Broncos would still have to trade up a bevy of picks to have a shot at trading up. 

Even if they trade up, there's a bad track record of teams trading up to select a quarterback at the top of the first round. A lot of these instances of teams trading up have resulted in busts, like the San Francisco 49ers taking Trey Lance or the Arizona Cardinals trading up for Josh Rosen. 

At this point, it's unlikely that the Broncos will be able to successfully trade up for Williams, but anything's still possible with the draft months away.