Former NFL player and analyst Merril Hoge was a Monday guest with the Sports Junkies (106.7 The Fan).
Hoge had recently said that USC quarterback Caleb Williams is not special. Hoge confirmed he had said this and that he only feels two rookie quarterbacks in the last five years were special coming out of college, Joe Burrow and C.J. Stroud.
The former Steelers running back (1987-93) conveyed that last year he felt Stroud was the only quarterback he would have taken in the first round. Two things that he (Stroud) did extremely well, were he was accurate and he processed things quickly and beautifully. And he functioned in the pocket.”
If he were in the Commanders shoes, what would Hoge do? “I would probably take Jayden Daniels. In fact, Jayden Daniels probably demonstrates the best evidence of playing in the pocket. He is accurate. I think he processes things very well.”
What about North Carolina’s Drake Maye? “I wouldn’t touch Maye. I wouldn’t grab Maye in the first round! There are a bunch of things that bother me. He is extremely inconsistent. His accuracy and processing are both inconsistent. He is not extremely athletic. I find him more stiff. He has a longer throwing motion which allows more hits in our league than college.”
Regarding Caleb Williams, Hoge elaborated, “When a guy has four seconds and he has guys wide open (in college) that is unrealistic. That is not happening in the National Football League. About 70 percent of their throws are going to be in a dirty pocket, collapsed pocket, pressured pocket. If you can’t function in that arena, it’s going to be a hard and arduous transition into the NFL. And this is if you are accurate and can process things well.”
“I am not against mobility; I love it. If used correctly, it can be a weapon. But it is usually a tool of rescue early. Steve Young eventually won with his arm, even though he made plays with his legs, which was important. The majority of the work was done from the pocket.”
John-Paul Flaim then interjected, “But Merril, all of that being said, What is your grade on Caleb Williams, if he is not a first-rounder in your eyes?”
Hoge (who also played for the Bears in 1994) quickly corrected Flaim, “No, no. I did not say he is not a first-rounder. I am saying he is not special from the perspective of how he plays from the pocket. His accuracy is elite.”
“He is more elusive than Patrick Mahomes was coming out. But does that mean he is better than Mahomes? Absolutely not. That is where his biggest learning curve will be, when you watch him function in the pocket.”