CHICAGO (CBS) – The Chicago Bears finally made official what many for so long projected, picking USC quarterback Caleb Williams No. 1 overall in the NFL Draft on Thursday.
The 6-foot-1, 215-pound Williams represents the organization’s best hope at finally having a franchise quarterback for the first time since Harry Truman was president.
Experts and analysts have for months predicted that the Bears would draft Williams, especially after the team dealt away Justin Fields to the Pittsburgh Steelers for a sixth-round pick last month. Williams has drawn comparisons to Kansas City Chiefs star Patrick Mahomes due to his ability to make all sorts of throws at a myriad of angles.
Williams is coming off a challenging 2023 season in which he threw for more than 3,600 yards, 30 touchdowns and only five interceptions, leading the Trojans to a mere 7-5 record. But it was his 2022 Heisman Trophy-winning campaign that truly put him on the radar as a potential top NFL prospect.
In 2022, he passed for more than 4,500 yards, 42 touchdowns, and only five picks. He also added another 382 yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground.
“I don’t think people on the outside truly appreciate just what he was overcoming during his time there [at USC]. He had talent around him as far as guys to throw to, but the offensive line issues, defensive issues, I mean, it was probably understated how lackluster they were and he had to overcome that every single week,” said Brady Quinn, a CBS Sports HQ NFL analyst said on the Pick Six podcast.
Williams holds several USC single-season records, including total offense (4,919), most touchdowns scored rushing and passing (52), passing completions (333), passes attempted (500), most touchdown passes thrown (42), and highest passing efficiency rate (168.5), among others.
Williams made headlines ahead of the NFL Combine for deciding not to throw or even undergo medical testing as has been the norm for top prospects.
He expressed a high degree of confidence in the work he’d already put on tape.
“I didn’t feel the need to go out and throw,” Williams said. “I played around 30-something games, I believe. Go ahead and go watch real-live ball of me, and see how I am as a competitor.”
Still, the Bears top brass said they did their due diligence in talking to Williams’ teammates, coaches and others to give them a better understanding of the person. That research must have at the very least not swayed the Bears away from choosing Williams.
The confidence should come in handy as expectations are high for the Bears after two seasons of revamping the roster under general manager Ryan Poles.
Williams will join an offense that added new free agents over the offseason, including wide receiver Keenan Allen, tight end Gerald Everett, and running back D’Andre Swift. He’ll also have receiver DJ Moore, who is coming off a career-best year with 96 receptions, 1,364 yards and eight touchdowns in 17 games last season in Chicago.
The Bears also bolstered the offensive line with additions like Jake Curhan, Coleman Shelton, Matt Pryor, and Ryan Bates.
Rick Spielman, a former general manager for the Minnesota Vikings, even favorably compared Williams to last season’s breakout rookie C.J. Stroud who had a historic year with the Houston Texans. Spielman said he put the chances of Williams matching Stroud’s production at 95%.
“If [the Bears] handle him the right way, he has more than enough ability,” Spielman said. “Athletically, he can make some unique throws. He is gonna have almost right at 95% of what C.J. Stroud did.”
