Caleb Williams is one of six USC football players to become a No. 1 NFL draft pick. When he was taken at the start of the 2024 NFL draft, he became USC’s second quarterback to be a top pick, also the second Trojan in the 21st century to attain the honor. While being a No. 1 pick is a special life memory, what matters most is translating that pick into NFL success.
In 2025, Caleb Williams did that. USC will not have a bust in Chicago.
Caleb Williams succeeding last season after his nightmarish rookie campaign ensured that none of USC’s No. 1 NFL draft picks are busts. Carson Palmer, Keyshawn Johnson, Ricky Bell, OJ Simpson, and Ron Yary all had productive NFL careers. Yary and Simpson went to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Keyshawn won a Super Bowl. All six, though, were/are quality pros. That’s something USC fans can and should be very proud of.
Now we get to see how high Caleb Williams can climb in the NFL. If he and the Chicago Bears had beaten the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC divisional playoff round this past January, Caleb Williams would have played Sam Darnold in the NFC Championship Game. Two USC quarterbacks would have dueled for the right to go to the Super Bowl. As it was, Darnold and the Seattle Seahawks made the Super Bowl and defeated the New England Patriots for the Lombardi Trophy, making Darnold the first USC quarterback to win the Super Bowl.
Caleb Williams will try to become the second.
This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: Caleb Williams did something more important than making history
Reporting by Matt Zemek, Trojans Wire / Trojans Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
