Chicago Bears Mock Draft 1.0: is Caleb Williams too enticing to pass up?

CHICAGO, Ill. - This is what the next four months of the season will look like for the Chicago Bears. Plenty of speculation, plenty of opinions and almost too much discourse to handle.

It's officially draft season, and Bears general manager Ryan Poles is on the clock.

At this point of the offseason, this is our first stab at a Bears mock draft.

Chicago Bears 2024 NFL Draft selections

The Bears have two first-round picks thanks to its trade with the Carolina Panthers last season but don’t have a second-round pick after trading for Montez Sweat.

The Bears have a third-round pick and two fourth-round picks, thanks to trading back with Philadelphia last season in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft.

Right now, the Bears’ fifth-round pick is their final pick of the draft unless Poles works the same magic he did in 2022 and turns a few day-three picks into many.

Round 1, No. 1 overall – Caleb Williams, QB: USC

You can’t overlook the potential.

Houston and CJ Stroud showed this season that it’s possible to be successful and win postseason games with a rookie quarterback. Williams, on paper, is a better prospect than Stroud was heading into the draft, too.

The Heisman winner from USC by way of Oklahoma threw for 10,082 yards and 93 passing touchdowns in three seasons at the college level. He also completed 66.9 percent of his throws while throwing just 14 interceptions.

Four of those interceptions were in one game against Notre Dame, but one game does not overshadow the body of work he compiled that made him a potential franchise-changing pick at quarterback.

Most importantly, Williams did not fumble the ball once during his time in college. Take away that Notre Dame game, and Williams only threw one interception during the 2023 season. Those kinds of stats and the highlights that come with it dial down any flaws Williams has.

The potential is there. What makes this pick difficult to predict is the lack of an offensive coordinator.

Without one in place its hard to forecast what the Bears could do, or try to do, with Fields. In this case, we’ll assume this means the Bears will use their first overall selection on the game’s most important position and reset the clock with a quarterback on his rookie contract.

Round 1, No. 9 overall – Dallas Turner, EDGE: Alabama

In a draft this deep, it’s hard to think the Bears could have a worst-case scenario. But, in this first edition of a mock draft let’s just assume.

What if the three offensive weapons the Bears could target to pair with Williams – Malik Nabors, Rome Odunze and Marvin Harrison Jr. – are all off the board between the Arizona Cardinals, New York Giants and Los Angeles Chargers are off the board here? 

Turner would make for a plug-and-play defender opposite Sweat as a player who can rush the passer, but also showed his ability to defend the flat in coverage and peel off blocks to stop the run. That versatility could make Turner a mainstay in Chicago in Matt Eberflus’s defense.

If Turner can command attention away from Sweat, that’s a boon for the Bears pass rush and for other players like Justin Jones, Andrew Billings and Gervon Dexter Sr.

There are also options, too. Florida State’s Jared Verse could fit opposite Sweat just as well as he’s projected to be one of the best power pass rushers in the draft. 

If the Bears can’t come to terms with Jaylon Johnson, perhaps filling his opening with Alabama’s Kool-Aid McKinstry is a possibility? But, let’s assume Poles makes good on his promise to keep Johnson in Chicago and gets it done.

After round 1, what then?

The Bears do need to bolster their receiving core. Especially if Darnell Mooney leaves in free agency, and after Tyler Scott’s rookie season showed he needs another offseason of development.

But, arguably more importantly, the Bears do need a center. A long-term solution either behind or to replace Lucas Patrick is the next piece needed to build a stalwart offensive line.

Georgia’s Sedrick Van Pran and Oregon’s Jackson Powers-Johnson are two names to watch, but there are options after those two players.

The Bears can always sneak back into the second round. Poles showed last season he’ll trade up to get a player he wants on the second and third day of the draft, and last season he got Tyrique Stevenson in a draft-day trade.

If the Bears get back into the second round, Power-Johnson and Van Pran should be there, but so could options at receiver like Washington’s Jalen McMillian, Texas’ Xavier Worthy and Adonai Mitchell, and Oregon’s Troy Franklin.

McMillian has the versatility to play in the slot and on the outside, which could benefit the Bears even if Mooney leaves or stays.

This is as deep a draft as there’s been in years. Poles has the chance to take advantage.

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