Bear Digest

What Sets Apart Caleb Williams' Skill Set from Draft's QBs

SI's Albert Breer did some back-scenes diggging and told the Toucher & Hardy Show why the Bears are getting someone special at No. 1.

Gene Chamberlain

Caleb Williams' ability to dial it down or to get it deep might be unmatched in this draft, says SI's Albert Breer.
Caleb Williams' ability to dial it down or to get it deep might be unmatched in this draft, says SI's Albert Breer. / Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports
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There is so much said about Caleb Williams' ability to get the football away under pressure and on the move that his raw arm strength often gets overlooked.

While talking on the The Sports Hub 98.5's Toucher & Hardy Show, Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer revealed more about Williams' true arm strength that only someone very close to him would know. That's because he found it out from Williams' personal QB coach.

Ultimately, it says Williams can dial it up or down far better than anyone else in the draft.

"I think Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye are close as prospects," Breer said on the podcast. "I think Caleb's in a different category.

"And one thing that was really interesting, I talked to his personal quarterbacks coach last week."

What Breer found out from this talk had to do with biomechanics.

"This guy told me basically what they see in-game simulation situations is that a quarterback has about 4 mph range on his ball," Breer told Toucher & Hardy. "So most of the quarterbacks they see throw it roughly between touch throws and drive throws between 47-51 miles per hour.

"That can slide based on a guy's arm strength but there's generally a 4 mph range on a guy's ball."

And with Williams?

"Caleb Williams has 10 mph range," Breer said. "When they worked with him, he's been 46-56 in his ability to control the ball."

What this means is Williams can slide up and down the scale from touch pass to bullet on a dig route better than the other QBs. In the context of a singer, Williams can hit the higher notes and the lower notes better and get to them much easier than others, which has to be music to the ears of Bears fans.

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"So I think Caleb is in a different category than the rest of these guys," Breer said.

The other key aspect Breer heard from those doing film review regards all the comparisons to Patrick Mahomes.

Breer noted how Mahomes and Williams both tend to runs to throw it. However, when Williams does decide he's running, it's not the same thing.

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"Maybe he doesn't quite have the arm strength that Mahomes does, but he's a better runner than Mahomes," Breer said. "So he can generate, like, a 40- or 50-yard run."

The conclusion Breer gave the two was compared to Drake Maye and Jayden Daniel, "Like, he's different than the other guys."

If that's the case people tend to wonder why Williams didn't repeat as Heisman winner or take the ational title.

"Caleb Williams last year had to be Superman for them to have a chance because their offensive line was dreadful and their receivers were really average," Breer said.

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

BearDigest.com publisher Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.

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