Grading the Bears Draft Picks: Caleb Williams

Kirby Lee - USA Today Sports

by Dustin Riese - Senior Writer - Fri Apr 26 11:15:12 GMT-04:00 2024

One of the worst-kept secrets in draft history was who the Chicago Bears would take at No. 1 this year. Sure, there was a lot of chatter about potentially trading back and grabbing Marvin Harrison Jr., but the bottom line was they had their guy the moment they had the No. 1 pick, and it became official on Thursday that Caleb Williams is the newest Chicago Bears quarterback.

Depending on how you look at this, Williams has big shoes to fill, but realistically, those shoes aren't as big as you might think, as the Bears have had some of the worst luck when it comes to QB. This team has been in the league for more than 100 years, and to this day, they are the only franchise never to have a 4000-yard passer. Jay Cutler came close a few times, but never reached that mark.

Williams is going to try to become the first Bears quarterback to do that, and looking at the weapons around him, he has as good a shot as anyone to do that. Arguably one of the most decorated quarterbacks in recent memory, the 6-1 214-pound Williams has been regarded as the most talented quarterback since Andrew Luck and will look to put that talent on display the moment he steps on the field.

The 2022 Heisman Trophy winner put together a 23-10 record in 33 starts, with most of those losses coming this past season with the Trojans. Diving even further into the picture, the numbers he put up are sheer video game numbers, as he ended his college career with 9,782 yards, 93 touchdowns, and just 14 interceptions. Williams also added 27 rushing TDs. His legs can be equally as dangerous as his arm.

Had he entered the draft last season, he would've been the No. 1 overall pick, so to see him struggle as much as he did this season was a bit of a shock. Still, he managed to put together another strong season, finishing 2023 with 3,333 yards and 30 touchdowns—against only five interceptions. If that is a down year, sign me up, as the Bears haven't had a 3000-yard passer since Mitch Trubisky in 2019.

If Williams doesn't throw for 4000 yards with DJ Moore, Keenan Allen, Rome Odunze, Cole Kmet, and Gerald Everett, there is no hope for anyone to throw for 4000 yards in Chicago as they have just as many, if not more, weapons than most teams. How they utilize those weapons is another question, so the pressure falls on Shane Waldron this season more than Williams himself.

Williams tends to play with his hair on fire, but that works to his advantage. He has as good and accurate an arm as anyone in this class. He has the rare ability to put the ball wherever he wants while also recognizing pressure almost quicker than the offensive line recognizes it. Williams also puts the perfect amount of pace on the football and can put the ball in whatever window he sees fit.

Entering the draft, there were many concerns about Williams, especially about his character, which he will have to prove the media wrong about. His wreckless play often led to most of his interceptions, as he needs to learn to play within the script and throw his passes on time consistently. He also needs to hone in on that hero ball mentality, as he will have plenty of playmakers to help him this season.

Regardless of what happens from here, the Bears have their first rookie starting QB for a week one game in more than two decades. Trubisky and Justin Fields were round-one guys, but neither immediately took over the starting job. Williams will not only do that, but once he does, he won't let it go until the Bears decide to move on from him.

Draft Grade A+

This was about as much of a slam dunk as possible. Williams is a once-in-a-generation talent at QB, and passing on him would not only be a mistake but would've cost Ryan Poles his job. Granted, his long-term success will depend on his overall play on the field, but this was a pick the Bears had to make, and now that they have made it, they can begin to focus on the future of this team and what is to come.

Mel Kipers biggest winner from Thursdays draft was the Chicago Bears.

The Bears got the 1st and 3rd players off his board.

Field yates also had the Bears with the Best pick of the night taking Rome Odunze at 9. #Bears #ChicagoBears #DaBears
— Clay Harbor (@clayharbs82) April 26, 2024