Bears' Caleb Williams: Taken first overall by Chicago
The Bears selected Williams in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, first overall.
Williams has long been tabbed as the obvious choice to be the first overall pick in this year's draft, and with the Bears jettisoning Justin Fields this offseason, the USC product has been dubbed the future of the franchise in Chicago for some time. The 2022 Heisman Trophy winner began his career at Oklahoma where he supplanted fellow 2024 draft hopeful, Spencer Rattler, as the starter for the Sooners and looked to be the next great quarterback in Norman. He followed coach Lincoln Riley to USC the following year and won the Heisman on the strength of a tremendous season with 4,537 yards, 42 touchdowns and five interceptions while adding 10 rushing touchdowns. Williams entered 2023 with expectations of building on that season but the Trojans fell short, dropping five games. The losses, coupled with some shaky individual performances from Williams in those games, put him under the scouting microscope during the pre-draft process. Questions arose regarding Williams' ability to play within structure and whether he was over-reliant on the type of improvising outside the pocket that won't translate to the NFL. However, Williams' overall body of work -- the ability to be deadly accurate to any spot on the field, to move around in and outside the pocket, and anticipate throwing windows -- made him the consensus top player in the class. He will be in a uniquely favorable setup for a top overall pick as oftentimes, the first pick is tasked with saving a flailing franchise with a bad roster. The Bears are solid along the offensive line and have a stable of top-notch receiving talent in DJ Moore and Keenan Allen to help Williams get on track from the jump. Williams immediately becomes a viable quarterback in redraft leagues and is a premier asset in dynasty formats.
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