Caleb Williams vs. Jayden Daniels: The Battle for the Best 1-2 QB Draft Pair of All Time
Williams and Daniels meet again Monday night. They’re on their way to becoming the best 1-2 quarterback duo in NFL draft history, writes Andrew Perloff.
Quarterbacks have gone No. 1 and No. 2 only 10 times in the modern era. Like Williams and Daniels, those QBs were also compared against one another. Like all player evaluations, early results were misleading.
Consider Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III, the top two picks in the 2012 draft. They have several parallels to Williams and Daniels. Like Daniels, Griffin was a lightning-fast dual threat quarterback who won Rookie of the Year in Washington. Unfortunately, Griffin’s career was derailed by health issues. Coming into the ’24 draft, durability was the main concern for Daniels. As a rookie, he played through a broken rib. This season he’s already missed time with a knee injury.
Meanwhile, Williams was supposed to be the next Luck… a rare can’t-miss quarterback with incredible physical tools. Luck did lead the Colts to the playoffs as a rookie, but he made a statistical jump his second year, just like Williams has done so far this season.
Or look at the winding careers of Jared Goff and Carson Wentz from 2016. After one-and-a-half seasons, no one thought Goff deserved to be taken first. Wentz led the Eagles to an 11-2 record in his second season before hurting his knee and watching their 2017 Super Bowl run from the bench. But then Goff led the Rams to the Super Bowl the following season and took his game to an even higher level in Detroit. Wentz, meanwhile, has struggled to find a home.
Daniels is the better quarterback right now. But he entered a more QB-ready situation in Washington. He fit perfectly with Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury. Williams didn’t gel with his offensive coordinator Shane Waldron and head coach Matt Eberflus in Chicago. He’s showing steady signs of improvement under new head coach Ben Johnson.
We have no idea what the next few years will bring for either player. Kingsbury could easily leave for a head-coaching job. And the Commanders are the oldest team in the league. Will they be able to rebuild their roster once they have to pay Daniels over $60 million per season? The Bears might have the same roster issue once Williams is up for a contract. That’s one of the reasons they pay Johnson $13 million a year … so he’ll be able to scheme up the offense even if they can’t pay everyone.
Williams is also a year younger than Daniels. He may need more time to mature and figure out what it takes to be an NFL star. Coming into the season, Williams character was under fire. He’s only 23 and could become a much different player and leader as he gets older.
Ranking the best 1-2 QB draft picks
On Monday night, the rivalry between Williams and Daniels will be the focal point of the broadcast. Regardless of which quarterback gets the upper hand, we should also consider them as a duo. They have a chance to become the best 1-2 draft pair of all time. Their competition isn’t as good as you might think.
For comparison, I ranked the nine 1-2 duos that came before Williams and Daniels. It’s rare that two quarterbacks at the top of the draft in same class both work out…
1. Peyton Manning/Ryan Leaf (1998)
In many ways, Manning and Leaf are the original No. 1 vs. No. 2 rivalry because of their pre-draft process. They had 14 Pro Bowls, 5 MVPs, 2 Super Bowl titles combined. Obviously, Manning did the heavy lifting.
2. Jared Goff/Carson Wentz (2016)
Goff has picked up the slack lately. We’ll see if Wentz keeps the job in Minnesota and helps them surpass Manning/Leaf.
3. Andrew Luck/Robert Griffin III (2012)
After one season, Luck and Griffin would have appeared to be the surefire No. 1 on this list. They both looked like future Hall of Famers. Unfortunately, serious injuries got in the way.
4. Jim Plunkett/Archie Manning (1971)
Plunkett was drafted by the Patriots and went on to win two Super Bowls with the Raiders, but he never made a Pro Bowl. Manning was named a Pro Bowler twice with New Orleans, but never had a winning season. They both made their mark on the league in unexpected ways.
5. Tim Couch/Donovan McNabb (1999)
Philadelphia fans booed at the draft because they wanted the Eagles to take running back Ricky Williams. McNabb turned out to be a star and Couch was a disappointment in Cleveland.
6. Drew Bledsoe/Rick Mirer (1993)
Bledsoe delivered for the Patriots, reaching the Pro Bowl four times. Mirer threw 50 TDs compared to 76 INTs in a disappointing career. Fun fact, both got into the wine business after retiring.
7. Jameis Winston/Marcus Mariota (2015)
Winston and Mariota seemed like can’t-miss prospects coming out of college and had fast starts to their pro careers. Neither was able to take the next step and find sustained success as a starter, however.
8. Trevor Lawrence/Zach Wilson (2021)
Lawrence has had an up-and-down start in Jacksonville, but seems to be on a good trajectory with new coach Liam Coen. Wilson broke Jets fans’ hearts and is now a backup in Miami.
9. Bryce Young/C.J. Stroud (2023)
These two would have been ranked higher if Young was playing as well as he did at the end of last season. Stroud also seems to have regressed after an impressive rookie season.
The best 1-2-3 classes
The 2024 draft was just the fourth time quarterbacks have gone 1-2-3. Williams, Daniels and Drake Maye have a strong chance of becoming the best threesome of QBs to go that high…
Ranking the 1-2-3 draft QB trios is an easy assignment…
- Jim Plunkett/Archie Manning/Dan Pastorini (1971)
- Tim Couch/Donovan McNabb/Akili Smith (1999)
- Trevor Lawrence/Zach Wilson/Trey Lance (2021)
Colts Predicted to Add Physical Defender in 2026 NFL Draft
With this Indianapolis Colts team looking dangerous, they probably won't be drafting early in 2026. But that’s not going to stop Chris Ballard from doing what he does best — hunting value.
As the season progresses, mock drafts for the 2026 NFL Draft are starting to roll out — and a clear trend is emerging. One that Colts fans have been eyeing for quite some time.
CBS Sports analyst Ryan Wilson’s latest mock draft has Indianapolis focusing on improving the depleted secondary with their 2026 first-round pick. A move that makes perfect sense.
Wilson has the Colts selecting Tennessee cornerback Jermod McCoy with the 23rd overall pick.
McCoy, a 6’0”, 193-pound junior, was one of college football’s most physical corners before suffering a torn ACL in January of 2025. Even with that injury, he is still viewed as one of the top defensive backs in the nation.
Wilson has McCoy ranked as his number one cornerback prospect and sixth overall player on his big board for the 2026 NFL Draft.
McCoy's the kind of corner you can leave on an island and let him work against WR1s. He plays with swagger, attacks the ball in the air, and doesn’t shy from run support.
And McCoy’s production backs up the tape. Before his ACL injury in January, he posted an 89.6 PFF coverage grade, the second-highest among Power Four cornerbacks for the 2024 season.
He also earned a near-perfect 99.9 PFF Game Athleticism Score, showcasing elite movement and fluidity in coverage.
Opposing quarterbacks recorded just a 53.6 passer rating when targeting him, and he tied for second among Power Four corners with four interceptions and nine pass breakups.
Drafting McCoy would immediately strengthen this secondary, and given the injury, there’s a real chance he slips to No. 23 — the kind of value Ballard is always hunting.
There are other names that make sense for Indy depending on how the board shakes out, including Mansoor Delane (LSU), a senior corner with physical tools and polish. Colton Hood (Tennessee) also stands out as a versatile defensive back who can play inside or outside.
Beyond those two, Avieon Terrell (Clemson) brings elite short-area quickness and fluid movement, while A.J. Harris (Penn State) fits the Colts’ mold with length and athleticism.
Each pick would add needed depth and upside to a secondary still searching for stability.
If the Colts can land a player like McCoy — or any of the top corners in this class — it would mark another step in solidifying one of the AFC’s fastest-rising defenses.
With the offense already clicking, a strengthened secondary could be what pushes Indianapolis from playoff contender to legitimate Super Bowl threat.
