Getty It is unclear what the Buccaneers will do at quarterback after Tom Brady.
If the Tampa Bay Buccaneers punt on making a major quarterback addition this offseason, the team could be in the Caleb Williams sweepstakes for the 2024 NFL draft. The USC Heisman Trophy winner can turn pro as soon as 2024 and is expected to be part of a strong quarterback class in the following draft.
Some Bucs fans are already dreaming about the potential for Williams to join Tampa Bay, even if the team has to wait another season to make it happen. The feeling appears to be mutual as Williams liked a February 13, 2023 tweet that featured himself in a Buccaneers uniform.
“I’m okay with this script,” “DJ Bucs Fan said in a tweet that was later liked by Williams.
Caleb Williams approves
Here is a look at the photo that has Tampa Bay fans buzzing.
NFL Scout on Caleb Williams: ‘Lots of [Patrick] Mahomes in His Game’
I have a feeling that Bowles gets another year after Bucs eat salary cap and start Trask. I will say this.. Canales is the perfect coach for Caleb Williams. USC ties 🤞
After following head coach Lincoln Riley from Oklahoma to USC, Caleb Williams’ game skyrocketed in 2022 making him the early favorite to be the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL draft. Williams threw for 4,537 yards, 42 touchdowns and five interceptions while completing 66.6% of his passes in 14 appearances during the 2022 season. During an interview with Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, an NFL personnel executive compared Williams to Chiefs two-time Super Bowl champion quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
“Elite arm talent and amazing skill set—can make every throw from different platforms, but he’s also a really instinctive and anticipatory thrower,” the NFL exec said in a December 12, 2022 feature. “He’s able to throw guys open rather than just throwing to spots. He also has a great feel for the game; he doesn’t get the offense in trouble. He takes what is there, makes the drive-starting throws. Lots of [Patrick] Mahomes in his game. I’m watching the Kansas City free agents, and he does a lot of the same stuff.”
The 2024 NFL Draft Appears to Have a Stronger Quarterback Group Than This Year’s QBs
This could be music to the Buccaneers front office’s ears given the less than ideal circumstances the team finds themselves in this offseason. Tampa Bay is projected to be more than $55 million above the salary cap in the coming months which likely takes them out of the market for the top available veteran quarterbacks. The Bucs could look to the upcoming draft to address the position, but the top prospects like Bryce Young, Will Levis and C.J. Stroud will likely be off the board when Tampa Bay is on the clock at No. 19.
The Bucs are expected to take all of Tom Brady’s cap hit this season which could point to the reality that the team does not expect to make major moves this offseason. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, Kyle Trask is the favorite to be the team’s starting quarterback in 2023. This does not mean that the Buccaneers could not revisit the position in 2024.
Even if the Bucs regress this upcoming season, there is no guarantee that the team will have a chance to select Williams in the 2024 draft. The good news is Williams is not the only top quarterback prospect for 2024 with North Carolina’s Drake Maye, Oregon’s Bo Nix and Washington’s Michael Pennix all expected to have NFL futures.
Other quarterbacks like Spencer Rattler and Quinn Ewers could move back into the NFL draft conversation with strong college football showings in the fall. There is still plenty of time for things to change, but the 2024 quarterback class is expected to be even stronger than the current group of prospects.
“We’re still multiple months away from the 2023 NFL draft class, but that isn’t stopping us from getting excited about what is shaping up to be a loaded 2024 group,” ESPN’s Matt Miller wrote on January 19. “Potential franchise quarterbacks, like Drake Maye and Caleb Williams, seem to wow every single Saturday, and they are looking like early picks in 15 months.”