CHICAGO BEARS
Round 1 (No. 1 overall, from Panthers) — Caleb Williams, QB, Southern Cal: The 2022 Heisman Trophy winner has essentially appeared destined to be the top pick of this draft for about three years, following an impressive debut as a freshman with Oklahoma. But the mystery evaporated entirely when the Bears traded former QB1 Justin Fields to Pittsburgh in March. Now Williams becomes the latest presumed savior for one of the league’s original franchises – one that’s never had a quarterback throw for 4,000 yards or 30 TDs in its century-long-plus existence. His game has been (unfairly) compared to three-time Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes’, though Williams – he measures 6-1, 214 pounds – self-identifies with four-time league MVP Aaron Rodgers. Either way, he has elite arm talent and the ability to make off-platform throws with the highest degree of difficulty. He also has ample mobility. In two years at Southern Cal, he passed for 8,170 yards, 72 TDs and 10 INTs despite having to improvise.
Round 1 (9) — Rome Odunze, WR, Washington: Chicago gets a blue-chip rookie receiver to pair with Caleb Williams. And the Bears, who have been busily building a proper supporting cast for Williams, were dangerously thin at wideout behind DJ Moore and Keenan Allen, who will be 32 by Week 1 and is only under contract for this season. Odunz was an All-American last year and All-Pac-12 member the past two. The 6-3, 212-pounder has ball skills and production (92 catches, for 1,640 yards, 13 TDs in 2023) to be a co-WR1 with Moore in 2025.
Round 3 (75) — Kiran Amegadjie, OT, Yale: Don’t count the Ivy League background against him. He has got the athleticism to play in the NFL but may need a redshirt year in order to calibrate to the competition.
Round 4 (122, from Eagles) — Tory Taylor, P, Iowa: True, Taylor was one of the best punters in the nation in 2023 at Iowa. He notched a 67-yard punt for the Hawkeyes in their bowl game.
Round 5 (144, from Bears through Bills) — Austin Booker, DE, Kansas: Booker is an ascending talent who could thrive on a Bears defensive line featuring Montez Sweat.