The Chicago Bears still have their eyes on USC Trojans product Caleb Williams. It appears that the NFC North franchise remains committed to the narrative that many have been expecting to happen with the No. 1 2024 overall pick, the one that Chicago has complete rights to by way of the Carolina Panthers. It's the same sentiment shared by Peter Schrager of Good Morning Football, who said that Chicago is “all in” on Williams.
“As I've reported, the Bears had a great meeting with Caleb at the NFL Scouting Combine, followed by a pair of enjoyable dinners in Los Angeles (before USC's pro day) and Chicago (before the quarterback's visit to Halas Hall). The team is all in. And so, from what I'm told, is Williams,” Scharager wrote (via NFL.com).
Chicago still widely viewed as Caleb Williams' landing spot
Although speculations about the Bears potentially trading the No. 1 pick still persists (after all, nothing is certain in the NFL), Chicago all but gave away the clue that they're going for a quarterback when they traded Justin Fields to the Pittsburgh Steelers last March for a conditional sixth-rounder pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. That trade left the Bears with a quarterback room featuring Tyson Bagent and Brett Rypien, neither of whom inspires confidence under center for Chicago. It's just hard to fathom the idea that Chicago went out of its way to acquire star wide receiver Keenan Allen from the Los Angeles Chargers only to have him run downfield in the 2024 NFL season catching passes from either Bagent or Rypien.
The clear need for a quarterback, an immediate impact signal-caller, is a big factor in why most fans and experts continue to expect that Chicago will keep the No. 1 pick and use it on Williams. In the 2023 NFL season, the Bears ranked just 19th in the NFL overall with only 21.2 points per game and 21st with 323.2 total yards per contest. They ultimately gave up on Fields, their first-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, after not seeing much progress in the short time he spent in Windy City.
Outside of Williams, Drake Maye of the North Carolina Tar Heels, Jayden Daniels of the LSU Tigers, and JJ McCarthy of the Michigan Wolverines are the other quarterbacks expected to go high in the 2024 NFL Draft, but none of them seemingly has built a stronger connection with the Bears, at least on the surface, than the former USC star.
In his final two years in college, both with the Trojans, Williams passed for 8,170 yards and 72 touchdowns with only 10 interceptions, while also completing 67.5 percent of his throws. With Williams orchestrating the offense on the field, the USC football finished the 2023 college season second overall in the nation with 41.8 points per game and 11th with 466.5 total yards per outing.
Will the Bears trade the No. 9 pick?
In contrast to their No. 1 pick, the Bears' other asset in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft appears to have a much higher chance of getting traded for more assets. Chicago could be willing to move down the draft board by dangling the No. 9 pick.
“I'd be shocked if they make that pick at nine,” one scout from the NFC said (h/t Jordan Reid of ESPN). “[Bears GM Ryan] Poles loves to move around and build through the draft, and that roster still needs help in some spots.”
Follow Us
Subscribe