NFL Draft countdown: Focus on Bears' first-round pick at No. 1
The 2024 NFL Draft is just one day away. All mock drafts have the Bears taking USC quarterback Caleb Williams with the No. 1 pick and for good reason.
The 6-foot-1, 214-pound QB threw 72 touchdown passes and 10 interceptions in two seasons as a USC Trojan, winning the Heisman Trophy in 2022. He’s a fascinating dual-threat prospect with an outstanding arm and incredible wheels.
Count ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. among those impressed with Williams’ arm talent, especially with off-schedule throws. He may not have a cannon, but there aren’t many throws Williams can’t make.
“Williams is a fabulous playmaker, and there are ‘wow’ throws all over his tape, even going back to his freshman season at Oklahoma. He's incredible escaping the pocket and making off-platform throws, excelling when plays break down. His improvisational skills are off the charts,” Kiper said.
Of course, broken plays require Williams to use his legs, something he’d rather not do. During a recent appearance on "The Herd with Colin Cowherd," Williams explained why he prefers to pass.
"I don't like running unless I have to," Williams said. "I like throwing the ball to my receivers, letting all of us have fun. It's a lot more fun to be able to throw a 20-yard dagger route to my ‘X’ receiver and let them eat up down the middle."
That said, Williams averaged 5.6 yards per carry with six touchdowns for the Sooners in 2021, then ran for 518 yards and 21 scores in two seasons with USC. Luckily for him, Chicago had the NFL’s second-ranked running game last year and just added D’Andre Swift, the fifth-leading rusher in 2023.
No worries there, but off the field, there are concerns around Williams’ camp. Without an agent, Williams’ father serves as his business manager. As a result, Williams withheld his medical information at the NFL Scouting Combine, the first to ever do so, per Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports.
“I’ll be doing the medical stuff, just not here in Indy,” Williams said, via ESPN’s Courtney Cronin. “I'll be doing it at the team interviews. Not 32 teams can draft me. There's only one of me. So the teams that I go to for my visit, those teams will have the medical and that’ll be it.”
Withholding medical information is one thing, but according to The Athletic’s Kalyn Kahler, Williams’ father explored the possibility of his son getting minority ownership in whichever team drafted him, something Aaron Rodgers tried without success with the Jets.
That could be a red flag and something worth watching as Williams learns to manage expectations and NFL life as the top pick in the draft.
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