Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye make it four NFL drafts with quarterbacks going 1-3
DETROIT (AP) — Caleb Williams is heading to the Windy City, aiming to become the franchise quarterback Chicago has sought for decades.
The Bears selected Williams with the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft on Thursday night after deciding weeks ago to bank on the 2022 Heisman Trophy winner from USC.
The Washington Commanders followed up by taking 2023 Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels from LSU and the New England Patriots took North Carolina’s Drake Maye at No. 3, making it the fourth draft with quarterbacks going with the first three picks.
It matched 2021 (Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson, Trey Lance), 1971 (Jim Plunkett, Archie Manning, Dan Pastorini) and 1999 (Tim Couch, Donovan McNabb, Akili Smith).
The Arizona Cardinals
snapped the trend, choosing Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. with the fourth pick.
Wearing a navy suit with silver accents, Williams swiftly walked on stage and screamed “Woooo! Yeah!” before giving Roger Goodell a bear hug, careful not to squeeze too hard because the NFL commissioner had back surgery three weeks ago.
Rap icon Eminem walked on stage in a Lions sweatshirt and cap shortly after Goodell to kick off the night. The Motor City native riled up the fans before turning it over to Lions stars Jared Goff, Aidan Hutchinson, Amon-Ra St. Brown and Hall of Famers Barry Sanders and Calvin Johnson.
St. Brown led them in chanting “Jar-ed Goff!” and Johnson kept it short: “Whaddup doe?”
An estimated crowd of 150,000, many wearing their Honolulu blue Lions jerseys, filled the streets surrounding the draft theater and turned the NFL’s biggest offseason event into a giant party.
Williams is the third quarterback Chicago has selected in the first round in the past eight years. Mitch Trubisky, the No. 2 overall pick in 2017, lasted four seasons. Justin Fields, the 11th pick in 2021, was traded away for a conditional sixth-round pick after three seasons.
The 22-year-old Williams is tasked with turning the Bears into a winner after years of futility. Chicago has had just two winning seasons since its most recent playoff victory in the 2010 season.
Williams was the clear front-runner in a quarterback-rich draft that includes Daniels, Maye and J.J. McCarthy. The Bears didn’t meet with any other QBs and Williams didn’t visit any other teams.
He impressed his future team over dinner with several Bears players last month, showing them he’s more substance than Hollywood style.
“It was good for them to be able to go back to
The DuBois Central Catholic Cardinals jumped out to an early lead against ECC on Wednesday afternoon at Berwind Park with three runs in the top of the opening inning and then went on to take on a 10-4 win.
Brayden Fox and Blake Pisarcik each saw action on the mound for the Cardinals. Fox started the game and worked the first four and two thirds innings, giving up eight hits, walking four, and striking out three. Pisarcik took over for the remaining two and one third innings, giving up one hit, walking one, and striking out three.
Matthew Gilmore started on the mound for ECC and worked the first three innings, giving up six hits and striking out two. Colby Nussbaum took over for the next three innings, giving up four hits, walking one, and striking out four. Wyatt Brenn faced three batters, giving up two hits. Charlie Geci took over for the final three batters, striking out one. the (front office) and speak on how I am instead of all the stuff that everybody sees every day on me,” Williams said Wednesday.
Bears general manager Ryan Poles was convinced Williams was the right choice after receiving positive feedback from the veterans.
“He came across as a really good teammate, easy to talk to, down to earth,” Poles said this week. “We’ve talked through this process about the whole Hollywood thing. He’s all ball, wants to work, wants to get better, wants to win as a team. That’s the No. 1 thing for him on top of being successful. So I think the biggest thing is: Does he fit with our culture and what we’re trying to do? And all signs were that he does, so that’s a positive.”
Williams has lofty goals. He’s talked about playing 20 years for one team and chasing Tom Brady’s record of seven Super Bowl titles. The Bears only have won it once following the 1985 season.
With one out in the top of the first, Fox hit a single and Aiden Snowberger reached on an error. A single by Pisarcik scored Fox, and then Snowberger scored on a two-out single by Trenton Miller. A single by Brayden Zatsick scored Pisarcik, giving the Cardinals a 3-0 lead.
Nussbaum hit a twoout single for the Crusaders in the bottom of the inning.
After sending DCC’s batters down in order in the top of the second, ECC loaded the bases in the home half of the inning as Brem led off with a single and Patrick Forster and Chase Simbeck drew back-toback walks. However, the Crusaders were unable to push through any runs.
Snowberger hit a triple to lead off the top of the third, and then Pisarcik followed that up with a home run, making the score 5-0.
ECC once again loaded the bases to start off the home half of the inning, with Gilmore and Frankie Smith hitting back-to-back singles and Nussbaum drawing a walk. A one-out single by Brem scored Gilmore, and then Smith scored on a sacrifice fly by Forster, cutting DCC’s lead to 5-2.
Xavier Schwentner led off the top of the fourth with a double, and then Carter Himes hit a one-out single to join him on base. A groundout by Fox scored Schwentner, Himes scored on a single by Snowberger, and Snowberger scored on an error with Pisarcik at bat, making the score 8-2.
The score stayed that way until the bottom of the fifth when ECC scored another run.
Lance O’Neill led off with a double and then scored on a balk with two outs, making the score 8-3.
The Crusaders scored their final run in the bottom of the sixth as Smith walked with two outs and scored on a single by Nussbaum, making the score 8-4.
DCC put their last two runs on the board in the top of the seventh. Pisarcik led off with a single and then scored on a double by Andrew Green. Green later scored as Miller reached base on an error, making the score 10-4.
The Crusaders are scheduled to be back in action at home today when they host Brookville in a 4:15 p.m. game at Berwind Park.
DCC 10
Carter Himes 4-11, Brayden Fox 3-1-1, Aiden Snowberger 4-32, Blake Pisarcik 4-3-3, Andrew Green 4-1-2, Trenton Miller 4-0-1, Brayden Zatsick 3-0-1, Xavier Schwentner 4-11, Johnny Varischetti 4-0-0. Totals 34-10-12.
ECC 4
Matthew Gilmore 4-1-2, Frankie Smith 3-2-1, Colby Nussbaum 3-0-2, Lance O’Neill 4-1-1, Wyatt Brem 4-02, Patrick Forster 1-00, Kevin Millet 1-0-0, Chase Simbeck 1-0-0, Noah Lion 1-0-0, Thomas Gilmore 3-0-0, Gideon Cronk 3-0-1. Totals 28-4-9.
Score by innings
DCC 302 300 2
ECC 002 011 0
R 10 4