The Chicago Bears potentially got a generational player when they took USC quarterback Caleb Williams with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Despite not having taken a snap at the professional level, Williams has been touted as one of the best college prospects in the last 10 years.
The Bears’ offense was already stacked with playmakers like wide receiver DJ Moore and tight end Cole Kmet, but the team also decided to make some huge additions in free agency. Former Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen and tight end Gerald Everett were acquired, giving the offense more weaponry.
Adding Everett isn’t exactly a home run effort, but Allen is. Leading up to his injury later in the season, Allen was keeping pace with the top receivers. He ended the 2023 campaign with 1,243 yards and five touchdowns. Allen is the right kind of veteran to line up with Moore and provide leadership to the younger talent the team acquired.
One such talent is Washington receiver Rome Odunze, who the Bears selected with the No. 9 overall pick in the NFL Draft. Odunze secured 1,640 yards, 17 TDs, and a 17.8 yard per catch average in the 2023 season. His 6-foot-3, 215-pound frame should do well when needing to leap up for contested catches.
Williams to the Bears became a known fact a long time ago, and it appears that Ryan Poles was setting the offense up to ensure that it would be firing on all cylinders when the No. 1 overall pick arrived.
On top of the pass catchers the Bears acquired in free agency and in the draft, the team also improved its run game. Former Philadelphia Eagles running back D’Andre Swift was also signed during free agency, giving the Bears a better option in terms of a three-down back.
Swift and Fields were a sort of tandem running outfit in 2023, and Williams and Swift could be the same type of one-two combo. Williams is a dual-threat quarterback who can move with his legs to avoid danger and chunk out some yardage on the ground. The issue is he often extends plays for too long and is punished with a sack for those efforts.
NFL analyst Dan Graziano seems to think so. During the overreaction/not an overreaction story on ESPN regarding the team’s draft picks, the Bears were part of that conversation. The fact that they could be led to the playoffs is not an overreaction for Graziano, and he explains why.
According to Graziano, “Chicago’s offensive offseason has been exciting on paper. The only NFL franchise that has never had a quarterback throw for 4,000 yards or 30 touchdown passes in a single season, these Bears have the opportunity to completely change the way their fans have viewed their team for decades. And yes, if Williams is what they believe he can be, they absolutely can be a playoff team.”
Graziano goes into detail about how the Bears will face an uphill battle with the Packers and Lions in their division, along with the Vikings potentially being a dark-horse playoff candidate. This is particularly true, as the Packers made the postseason with a 9-8 record in 2023, and they beat the Cowboys in the wild-card round — while also almost taking down the 49ers in the divisional round.
The Lions shared a similar path, taking down both the Rams and Buccaneers in the wild-card and divisional rounds, but ultimately fell to the 49ers in the NFC Championship game.
Both teams have beefed up their rosters via free agency and draft picks, so they are more than likely to be heading back to the postseason in 2024. Still, the Bears found themselves a game behind the Packers in the playoff race and had a far less superior roster than they do now.
The Rams entered the playoffs at 10-7, along with the Packers at 9-8. In theory, should the 2024 playoffs shake out the same way, the Bears would only need a couple more wins to their name to make it. With their current roster, that is certainly achievable.
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