The Chicago Bears are mere hours away from making former USC quarterback Caleb Williams the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. The hope for general manager Ryan Poles and Co. is that they have finally found their franchise signal caller.
There’s no real drama surrounding the top pick. Williams has pretty much been the selection since it conveyed to Chicago (via Carolina Panthers) following the 2023 season.
What Chicago plans to do with its original first-round pick (ninth overall) is a bigger question. Rumors have persisted that the team could either move up or down once Round 1 gets going Thursday evening. The less likely scenario is that Poles opts to stand pat. The Bears only have three selections after Round 1.
Dianna Russini of The Athletic has an interesting report on the Bears’ plans with the draft getting going here soon. She indicates Chicago is telling other teams that it is open for business and willing to move down for the right price.
Related: Full 7-round Chicago Bears mock draft
A lot of this is going to depend on what happens with the first eight picks and at the quarterback position in general.
Right now, it’s pretty much a lock Williams is going to Chicago at one with the Washington Commanders selecting Jayden Daniels at two. From there, it will likely either be the New England Patriots or a team trading up to three selecting fellow quarterback Drake Maye.
This makes the Bears’ decision-making process interesting. If Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy is available at nine, they’ll receive some strong offers. Should one of the top receivers be available, Poles will have to decide between getting Williams another weapon or trading down for more assets.
At this point, it seems as if Chicago is leaning in the direction of collecting those assets in the NFL Draft. We’ll find out soon enough.