All signs continue to point to the Chicago Bears drafting quarterback Caleb Williams as the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
According to sources, the USC Heisman winner joined Bears brass the past two days. On Tuesday, the quarterback and Chicago executives met for dinner. Yesterday, Williams made his way to Halas Hall for his pre-draft visit with the franchise.
Ryan Poles, Chicago’s general manager, recently announced that Williams would be among the prospects invited to the team’s initial wave of top-30 visits scheduled for the first week of April. This opportunity allows teams to host up to 30 draft-eligible prospects for pre-draft visits. Notably, Alabama outside linebacker Dallas Turner visited the Bears on Wednesday, while Washington wide receiver Rome Odunze is slated to visit Halas Hall on Thursday, according to a source. With the Bears holding the first and ninth picks in the first round of the draft, these visits mark crucial steps in their pre-draft evaluation process.
Following a three-day stint with Williams in Los Angeles last month, just before USC’s pro day, Chicago embarked on a mission to further assess Williams’ football knowledge. This included an extensive 80-minute one-on-one session between Williams and Bears coach Matt Eberflus. The objective was twofold: to gauge Williams’ understanding of the game while also providing him with a glimpse into what could potentially be his new home as a rookie.
“I’ve done this over the years when guys come in. You can really do some installations, take a break and then have them reinstall back to you just in terms of recall,” Poles said. “Build relationships with coaches. Make sure that there’s compatibility there.”
“We’ll just continue on with some of the install that we installed there in the pro day. We’ll keep continuing on that journey, teaching him more of the offense and then having him give it back to us and see where he is that way. He’s been great that way. Again, spend some more time visiting with him. He’ll get a chance to spend some more time with the offensive staff that wasn’t there at the pro day. It’s going to be good.”
The NFL Draft begins on April 25.
