Mel Kiper Jr.: USC's Caleb Williams Clear No. 1 QB in 2024 NFL Draft over Drake Maye

While Drake Maye has surely caught the eye of NFL teams and evaluators as the draft approaches, USC's Caleb Williams is still the top quarterback.

At least in the eyes of ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr.

"Williams—assuming he enters the draft—is going to have his 2023 season picked apart for the next five months, but when you really study his tape, you'll see he was still tremendous," the draft evaluator said. "He is an outstanding talent, a passer who can do rare things when he's moving in and outside the pocket. Plus, the reality is Maye had some inconsistent games and didn't grab his chance to move up down the stretch. Williams is going to go wire to wire as my No. 1 QB."

Williams won the Heisman Trophy last season and had the Trojans on the doorstep of the College Football Playoff until they lost to Utah in the Pac-12 Championship Game.

This season was much more inconsistent, as USC went 7-5 overall with a 1-5 mark in its final six games. Much of that was because of a poor defense, but Williams had a downtick in his own numbers even though he still completed 68.6 percent of his passes for 3,633 yards, 30 touchdowns and five interceptions.

The biggest question at this point is whether he will go No. 1 overall.

That might come down to whether the Chicago Bears, who own the Carolina Panthers' first-round selection via trade, decide to stick with Justin Fields or start over at the quarterback position. The Bears are currently positioned to pick first, although the Arizona Cardinals—who are slated at No. 3 in the current standings—could face a similar decision with Kyler Murray.

But Williams is well-positioned regardless of who chooses first to go early in the draft.