The Chicago Bears have the first overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, are they going to spend it on USC QB Caleb Williams?
With the 2023 NFL season coming to a close last weekend, all eyes will now be turning to April 25 when the most exciting part of the offseason begins. The NFL Draft is full of hope for teams, fans, players, and front office members alike. Fans get to debate on which of college football’s stars will land with each franchise, front office members will be creating a big board ranking hundreds of players, and players get to see how management adds to their team for a playoff run.
With a plethora of talent in a class that is widely regarded as one of the strongest in recent memory, this draft is going to be a fun one. The teams at the top of the draft have a need at the quarterback position and there are three can’t-miss quarterbacks in this draft. Caleb Williams has been dubbed the next Patrick Mahomes, Drake Maye is 6 foot 5 230 pounds and makes every single throw on the field look easy, and Jayden Daniels just put up one of the greatest statistical seasons in football in his Heisman Campaign. All three would have been the top pick in last year’s draft by a landslide.
This year, the Chicago Bears have the first pick, thanks to a beautifully executed trade with the Carolina Panthers in last year’s draft, and will have the opportunity to go in multiple different directions. They are in a tricky situation as they have a talented quarterback in Justin Fields who simply has not got the job done in the Windy City. He was the 11th overall pick in the 2021 draft and will be up for a hefty payday as he will be eligible for an extension this offseason. He has shown he has the ceiling to be a franchise cornerstone, but there are also huge question marks surrounding his ability to reach his full potential.
The Bears could buy into Fields by grabbing the best wide receiver prospect we have seen since Randy Moss, in Marvin Harrison Jr.. There are two blue chip tackle prospects that would easily help keep Fields upright. There is also a great possibility they trade out of the first pick, letting someone else pay a king’s ransom to have their choice at quarterback. Or, do the Bears trade Fields and restart their quarterback clock and have their pick of the litter.
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There is lots of discussion about who the first pick should be, and who should be making the pick. In reality the Bears have an opportunity in front of them that they absolutely should not be passing up on. They need to trade Fields to a team like the Falcons and stand pat at the number one spot and take Caleb Williams. This kid has unteachable skills and a feel for the game that is unmatched. He single handedly brought USC and the entire Pac-12 back to relevance in 2022 when he followed head coach Lincoln Riley from Oklahoma to Los Angeles.
In two and a half seasons as a starting quarterback under Riley, Caleb Williams threw for 10,082 yards and 93 touchdowns while completing 66.9% of his passes. He also accounted for 966 yards and 27 touchdowns on the ground while only throwing 14 interceptions. This culminated in a 169.3 passer rating and a Heisman Trophy in his true sophomore season in 2022 where he recorded the 12th highest percentage of possible points in Heisman voting history. He has had one of the most dominant college careers we have ever seen and he is still just 22 years old.
His ability to extend plays and avoid defenders has given him the reputation of “the human joystick”. He seems to get better when things break down, letting his poise, confidence, and charisma shine. He loves the big moment and you could only imagine how fun a playoff run by this guy would be. The Bears have to do everything in their power to make sure that playoff run is in their uniform. He would instantly revitalize this franchise and provide them with the swagger they need for their huge market.
With DJ Moore, Darnell Mooney, and Cole Kmet catching passes, they have a group of receivers that would allow Williams to find success early and often. The offensive line needs some help but last year’s first rounder was used on tackle Darnell Wright, showing a dedication to shoring up this situation. Now, the Bears have the number 9 pick in this year’s draft as well, which puts them in a prime position to get one of the top offensive players in the draft to pair with Williams. Adding a left tackle like Joe Alt or Olu Fashanu would keep their first overall pick from getting killed. A pass catcher like Malik Nabers, Rome Odunze, or Brock Bowers should fall to this spot, which would create a passing attack that could be at the top of the league for years to come.
It is an interesting position for the Bears to be in but they have to go into this offseason setting the franchise up for a decade of success with the first overall pick. They can build a winning team around a pro bowl caliber quarterback on his rookie contract, the blueprint to setting up a dynasty that we have seen work to perfection with the Kansas City Chiefs. Do the Bears follow suit? Or do they believe enough in Fields to sign him to a big contract and enhance his environment? The answer should be easy.
Caleb Williams has the arm talent, decision making, ability to extend plays, and overall make up of a superstar in this league. He makes ridiculous throws on the run and has a power behind his ball that is just different. He contorts his body in ways that allow him to make any throw, from any angle, to anyone on the field. If you are a receiver and Williams starts moving around in the pocket, just keep running! He will find you and deliver an absolute beauty as long as you work to get open for him.
The combine and his pro day will only solidify his mesmerizing abilities, but people will continue to debate on who the top prospect in this draft is. The answer is Caleb Williams. He is a franchise altering talent that is deserving of being the first overall pick. Any other year, Maye, Harrison Jr., or Daniels would have had a shot, but 2024 will go down as “The Caleb Williams Draft”.
