Did Caleb Williams get drafted? Looking at the first overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft
Caleb Williams has been considered the top prospect in the 2024 NFL Draft since taking the college football world as a true freshman with the Oklahoma Sooners. He all but locked up the spot during his second season, in which he won the 2022 Heisman Trophy as a member of the USC Trojans.
While the program struggled in his junior year, finishing just 8-5, Williams had another strong season. Despite the rise of Jayden Daniels, the five-star prospect in the 2021 recruiting class was drafted first overall by the Chicago Bears on Thursday evening.
The Bears have struggled in recent years, and have not won a Super Bowl in nearly four decades - having last done so at Super Bowl XX. Their struggles at the most important position in the sport have been a big part of their lack of postseason success.
While Chicago has been a franchise since 1920, they have had just five Pro Bowl quarterbacks since the inception of the annual All-Star Game in 1951.
In fact, they have had just two quarterbacks - Johnny Lujack and Ed Brown - make multiple Pro Bowl appearances, with both players appearances coming in the 1950s. The Bears are also the only team in NFL history that have never had a quarterback throw for 4,000 yards in a single season.
Caleb Williams look to help fans in Chicago forget years of subpar play from under center. He will have a nice arsenal of wide receiver weapons in six-time Pro Bowler Keenan Allen, four-time 1,000-yard wide receiver D.J. Moore and former Washington Huskies star and 2023 consensus All-American Rome Odunze, who they selected ninth overall in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Can Caleb Williams help the Chicago Bears turn things around?
Caleb Williams has been highly-touted as a generational, can't miss prospect.
The 2022 Heisman Trophy winner finished his three-year collegiate career with 10,082 passing yards, 93 touchdowns and just 14 interceptions. He completed 66.9% of his passes, adding 966 rushing yards and 27 touchdowns on 289 carries.
While the Chicago Bears have never received elite play from the quarterback position, Williams is the type of player that can change that. Furthermore, the Bears played well down the stretch last season, winning four of their final six games.
Chicago has been aggressive during the offseason, landing Keenan Allen via trade and Rome Odunze via the 2024 NFL Draft. They also signed safety Kevin Byard and running back D'Andre Swift, among others.
Although Caleb Williams will likely need time to adjust to the NFL, he should be able to bring stability to the quarterback position to a franchise who has historically lacked such stability.