Caleb Williams should be feeling better than ever before. The Chicago Bears loaded up on talent, early, for the second-year quarterback.
General manager Ryan Poles and head coach Ben Johnson were clearly not messing around. Yes, Johnson wants to win "and win by a lot," just as he told the team in their first meeting which opened up voluntary activities.
Speaking of Williams and the talent around him, one of those early picks came courtesy of that very same trade which brought him to Chicago by way of Carolina.
We've covered the deal extensively, but let's break it down even further. When we do, it looks like even more of a highway robbery by the Bears.
The breakdown of the Caleb Williams trade makes Ryan Poles look like a total thief
We know what the Panthers got, but let's break down the Bears' haul even further. In total, Chicago found four starters (you could argue a fifth in Burden) out of four picks and a player given up by Carolina.
WR DJ Moore
Moore already had three 1,000-yard seasons in Carolina when he came over to the Bears at age 25. In two seasons with the Bears since, Moore has totaled 2,330 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns. Plus, the Bears were able to extend him on a very reasonable deal.
2023 1st Round Pick - OT Darnell Wright
Darnell Wright looks like a franchise cornerstone type of pick, earning an overall grade of 79.3 in 2024 from Pro Football Focus.
2023 2nd Round Pick - CB Tyrique Stevenson
Maybe the only questionable part of the deal, Tyrique Stevenson has a ton of talent but his attitude remains a problem for Chicago.
2024 1st Round Pick - QB Caleb Williams
We know how good Caleb Williams can be. Coming out of college as the best quarterback prospect since Andrew Luck, Williams had all of the hype backing his draft billing. The Bears landed their first-ever true franchise quarterback, and by all accounts, he's going to be much better than Young.
Williams' rookie season was highlighted by an impressive 1.1 percent interception percentage despite being sacked the third-most of any quarterback in league history.
2025 2nd Round Pick - WR Luther Burden
At times, during his career, Luther Burden was viewed as the potential no. 1 wide receiver in his class next to Tetairoa McMillan. Somehow, the Bears stole him in the second round. Burden is about as explosive an offensive skill player as you can find in his class.