Bears select quarterback Caleb Williams first overall in 2024 NFL Draft

The 2024 National Football League Draft took place on Thursday in Detroit, Michigan, and with the first overall pick, the Chicago Bears selected quarterback Caleb Williams of Washington, District of Columbia. The fact that the Bears selected a quarterback should not have come as a huge surprise because on March 16 the Bears traded quarterback Justin Fields of Kennesaw, Georgia, to the Pittsburgh Steelers. 

The Bears got the first overall pick in a trade with the Carolina Panthers last year. As a result of the deal, the Panthers received the first overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, where they selected quarterback Bryce Young of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Also as part of the deal, the Bears acquired wide receiver D.J. Moore of Philadelphia, who subsequently now becomes the number one receiver option for Williams in Chicago.

Williams, meanwhile, initially played his College Football with the University of Oklahoma in 2021, before transferring to the University of Southern California, where he played the last two seasons in 2022 and 2023. This past season with the Trojans, Williams won the Heisman Trophy, presented to the top College Football Player of the Year. He completed 266 passes in 388 attempts for 3633 passing yards, 30 passing touchdowns and five interceptions. Williams also had 97 rushes for 142 rushing yards, 11 rushing touchdowns, and one catch for 15 yards.

The Bears actually had two first round picks in the top 10. With the ninth overall pick, they selected Rome Odunze from the University of Washington.

Williams is the sixth player from the University of Southern Carolina to be selected first overall. He follows Pro Football Hall of Fame tackle Ron Yary of Chicago, Illinois (1968 by the Minnesota Vikings), Pro Football Hall of Fame running back O.J. Simpson of San Francisco, California (1969 by the Buffalo Bills), running back Ricky Bell of Houston, Texas (1977 by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers), wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson of Los Angeles, California (1996 by the New York Jets), and quarterback Carson Palmer of Fresno, California (2003 by the Cincinnati Bengals).

This was also the third time the Bears had the first overall pick. In 1941, they selected running back Tom Harmon of Rensselaer, Indiana out of the University of Michigan, and in 1947, they selected running back Bob Fenimore of Woodward, Oklahoma out of Oklahoma A&M.