The plot thickens for the Rams, the 2024 NFL draft, and QB Caleb Williams…

The plot thickens for LA Rams, the 2024 NFL Draft and QB Caleb Williams
Bret Stuter

[ramblinfan.com]



The belief that if the LA Rams simply roll over and play dead for the 2023 NFL
season sounds like an ideal way to land the first overall pick is a bit flawed. Even if the LA Rams organization was okay with losing as many games this season just to have the opportunity to draft USC QB Caleb Williams, there are many reasons why that is a foolish strategy.

The path to the number one pick is almost as perilous to navigate as the path to winning a Super Bowl. And if we are being perfectly honest, it seems that the Arizona Cardinals have a pole position to claim the first overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. The problem with entering any NFL Draft is only as vital to an NFL team as the players you can select through that draft.

It's not a certainty, and here's why:

College players have options, too

College football seasons are every bit as violent and injury-prone as the NFL. And NCAA football is a dangerous period for college quarterbacks, as injury can happen on virtually any snap of the football. So the premise that Caleb Williams will be healthy and happy to be selected by a struggling NFL team is a huge leap of faith.

Did you notice that I mentioned 'happy to be selected by a struggling NFL team . . . ' in that previous paragraph? That is also a huge variable, and one that has suddenly become suspect based on recent interview:


So let's look at it this way. If an NFL team sells out in the hope of drafting USC QB Caleb Williams, and Williams elects to return for another season of NCAA football eligibility, that is a huge blow to any plan to rebuild a roster. That is not to say that the 2024 NFL Draft is thin at quarterback. On the contrary, the 2024 NFL Draft class appears to be bursting with quarterback talent.

The LA Rams are openly striving to build a long-term NFL championship team. And that means that the Rams roster will be eyeing the 2024 NFL Draft quite closely. The Rams roster has already embraced all 14 drafted rookies from the 2023 NFL Draft, and will likely invest heavily in the 2024 NFL Draft for reinforcements as well.

But the LA Rams cannot, and should not, fixate on any single college player this early. Even the most talented college football players may not fit the Rams scheme. For now, we will continue to monitor the top quarterback prospects emerging for the 2024 NFL Draft. In the meantime, there is no way that to expect that the Rams draft class will include any of them.