Several sources from the Senior Bowl indicate the Bears will likely choose the USC quarterback.
The general consensus on the 2024 NFL draft early in the summer is that USC quarterback Caleb Williams will be selected by the Bears with the first overall choice in this offseason.
Several reporters reinforced that idea with their own reports at the annual Senior Bowl.
When asking general managers what the Bears will do with the choice, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune noted, “The resounding answer from five GMs I spoke with was clear: Bears GM Ryan Poles will draft a quarterback with the top pick.”
“Teams are beginning to arrange the hypothetical dominoes in an attempt to predict how the top of the draft would unfold. The majority of individuals with whom I spoke in Mobile anticipate that the Chicago Bears will select first overall, most likely for Williams “Jeremy Fowler of ESPN wrote.
Williams and his possible landing site in Chicago are the subject of growing reports. On Friday, NFL analyst Colin Cowherd got on 670 The Score to announce that teams are contacting USC to finish Williams’ background checks. In exchange for the top choice, he claimed, those teams want to offer trade packages. However, it seems the Bears are here to stay.
Williams’ side of the tale, according to Cowherd, stated on Thursday that the USC quarterback is unwilling to move to Chicago because of the team’s terrible quarterback history and unfavorable present situation. However, Cowherd later withdrew those remarks on Friday following his claim that Williams’ camp had contacted him to clarify their position.
“I received a call yesterday from the Caleb Williams camp. They exclaimed, “Woah, woah, woah!” “Colin, we don’t want to be painted as anti-Chicago,” Cowherd stated. “And we don’t want to be seen as anti-Bear.” And they made it obvious to me: ‘Listen, we don’t want to go to a city that cares. Chicago cares. They’re huge, loud, and passionate. They fire coaches all the time. They care. We don’t want to travel to some sun belt location where you can tarp off the upper deck.’
“I was warned last night [by Williams’ camp] that Chicago is a big, loud, pressurized city. “[He] enjoys that,” Cowherd explained. “[Michael] Jordan.” Bulls. He prefers that. I was informed he feels the defense is excellent. He does not have to win through a shootout. He adores DJ Moore. He believes the offensive line is better than most people assume. “He doesn’t see it as a disaster.”
Will the Bears go through and choose Williams? If so, when will they start shopping Justin Fields in the trade market? Stay tuned, as the next league year begins on March 15.