The final decision won’t be made until the Chicago Bears are on the clock in April. However, it sounds more and more likely that they have their sights set on Caleb Williams with the #1 pick. Every national insider has hinted at this for almost a month. It is incredible to think they’ve reached such a conclusion so quickly. Draft experts believe this 2024 class is strong at quarterback. One would think Drake Maye, Jayden Daniels, and even J.J. McCarthy would be in the race longer than a few weeks after the end of the season.
Maybe there is a chance things still change. Prospect interviews are still to come at the scouting combine and private visits. Everything can look great on tape until you meet the person. However, the Bears don’t seem overly concerned about that. It’s almost a formality from the sound of things. How is that possible? A source reached out to SM with an answer.
GM Ryan Poles and the team already loved Williams from watching him since he was a freshman at Oklahoma. There weren’t many concerns on that front. Their efforts in recent weeks were about gathering information on what he is like as a leader, teammate, and person. The decisive moment came during their meeting with former USC quarterbacks coach Kliff Kingsbury and head coach Lincoln Riley during a trip to Los Angeles.
Both men spoke in great detail about Williams, offering info on the type of worker and competitor he is. It was an eye-opening conversation that eased what few fears the Bears had left about the young QB.
Poles isn’t one to let personal bias blind him to the process. Coaches are prone to talking up their players all the time. What Kingsbury and Riley said was helpful, but the Bears’ general manager still needs to verify it. That will come over the next month when he meets Williams in person. Chicago will put him through the paces. They’ll work him out, testing his physical limits as a passer. They will grill him on the whiteboard, determining how sharp he is at absorbing and delivering information. Lastly, they will ask questions intent on whether he is more about the team or himself.
Everybody knows this is the most important decision the franchise has had in maybe a decade. The Bears have never taken a quarterback #1 overall in their long history. Caleb Williams may end up being the first. That will carry a ton of pressure and expectations. Poles said his goal was to find somebody mentally tough enough to handle playing in a place like Chicago. It takes fortitude many guys don’t have. Williams’ coaches think he has it. One can only hope they’re right.
