The Bears will kick off the NFL draft on Thursday night with the No. 1 overall pick and usher in the Caleb Williams era.
Why it matters: The Bears are looking to give a quarterback-starved fan base a jolt by picking the USC Heisman winner, who is considered a generational talent.
State of play: It’s all but a done deal that the Bears will select Williams. They traded star Justin Fields earlier in the offseason to make room. Any other choice would be a massive shock.
By the numbers: In his college career, the young QB passed for 97 touchdowns and ran for 27 more.
The big picture: After trades for Montez Sweat and Keenan Allen, the Bears have only four picks total, but they’ve got the No. 9 pick in their back pocket, too.
- Many think they’ll add a wide receiver like Washington’s Rome Odunze or LSU’s Malik Nabers to give Williams another playmaker.
- Or they might invest in the defense, pairing an edge rusher like Alabama’s Dallas Turner or Florida State’s Jared Verse with Sweat and the surprisingly stout Bears line.
- GM Ryan Poles could also try to wheel and deal out of the top 10 to stock the cupboard.
The bottom line: Thursday night is special for this franchise, which is drafting first overall for the first time since the ’40s.
- Caleb Williams, your table is ready.
