The Chicago Bears were arguably the biggest winners in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. They entered the night with two picks in the top 10 and came away with two players that should help turn things around immediately in the Windy City.
With the first overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, the Bears selected USC quarterback Caleb Williams. That was a selection that had been anticipated for months and became a lock after the team traded Justin Fields to the Pittsburgh Steelers earlier this offseason.
Desperate for a star under center, Chicago is hopeful that Williams is that player for the foreseeable future. Unlike the previous franchise quarterbacks he will be following in Fields and Mitchell Trubisky, the supporting cast around Williams is excellent.
Last offseason, the Bears acquired wide receiver D.J. Moore from the Carolina Panthers in what looks to be one of the most lopsided trades in NFL history. The team also signed veteran tight end Robert Tonyan to pair with up-and-comer Cole Kmet. This offseason, the Bears acquired Keenan Allen from the Los Angeles Chargers, giving them an incredible 1-2 punch at wide receiver.
Now, that duo is a trio as another weapon was added this year with their second first-round pick. At No. 9 in the 2024 NFL Draft, the Bears selected Washington wide receiver Rome Odunze. It is quite a remarkable turnaround in just about a year’s time at wide receiver in Chicago.
Odunze gives the team a long-term No. 1 receiver to grow and develop along with Williams. He is excited about what the future holds, as he spoke very highly of his new starting quarterback, via Kevin Fishbain on X.
New Bears WR Rome Odunze on Caleb Williams: "He's super talented and a generational player. To be able to catch balls from him and compete right beside him, it's a special thing."
— Kevin Fishbain (@kfishbain) April 26, 2024
Williams is walking into arguably the best situation a No. 1 overall pick has ever had. Normally the first pick is joining a bottom-feeding team who is looking to climb out of the doldrums of the league. That isn’t the case in Chicago, as they won seven games last season and are poised to continue breaking out in 2024.
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