This off-season, there have been a lot of firsts for the Chicago Bears.
For starters, this was the Bears' first time drafting a quarterback with the first pick since the NFL Draft began in 1936. The Bears have only had the first pick three times in their history, and two of the three picks were used on running backs in the 1940s.
Then, in 2024, the Bears selected their first quarterback with the No. 1 pick when they selected Caleb Williams out of the University of Southern California. The Bears have drafted quarterbacks with the second pick, but prior to Caleb, never the first.
Now, that's not only the first-time stat that the Chicago Bears are involved in this off-season.
The Chicago Bears and Caleb Williams are involved in a first-time statistic once again
This is more of a deep-dive statistic than one many teams had the opportunity to gain, but this statistic should instill even more excitement into the Chicago Bears' fanbase.
Caleb Williams is the only 1st-round rookie QB to join a team that both drafted a 1st-round WR in the same class (Rome Odunze) and rostered multiple players who had 1,000+ receiving yards in the season prior (DJ Moore, Keenan Allen).#DaBears #NFLDraft @NFLResearch
— Tony Holzman-Escareno (@FrontOfficeNFL) May 3, 2024
After the Justin Fields debacle, it's not a surprise that the Bears prioritized setting Caleb Williams up for success, and this statistic proves that sentiment even more.
When the Chicago Bears selected Caleb Williams No. 1— even before drafting Rome Odunze— there was a strong belief that Williams was set up for success well. Before the addition of Odunze, Williams would've had a supporting cast of Keenan Allen, D.J. Moore, Cole Kmet, and Gerald Everett. That sentiment became even more true once they selected Odunze with the ninth pick in the same draft class, as they added another weapon to the arsenal for Williams.
Having both the top quarterback and— in Ryan Poles' mind— the top receiver prospect in the same draft class is a privilege that not many teams can say they've experienced. Well, that's because no team has ever done it, according to the NFL Research team.
And with all the hype surrounding the Chicago Bears this off-season, there's even more reason to buy into what the Bears are selling.