Chicago Bears select Caleb Williams with No. 1 pick: Instant grade and analysis

With the first overall selection in the 2024 NFL Draft, the Chicago Bears have officially selected Caleb Williams.

The worst-kept secret in the NFL this offseason was revealed on Thursday night with the Bears selecting Williams to serve as not only their starting quarterback but as the end of the quarterback misery that the team has experienced.

Since the Bears traded Justin Fields to the Pittsburgh Steelers last month, it became clear that Williams was going to be their choice at the quarterback position. Williams was the only quarterback that the Bears hosted at Halas Hall for a Pre-Draft visit. Similarly, the Bears were the only team that Williams met with after his Pro Day at USC in March and were the only team that the former Heisman award winner completed a Top 30 visit with.

Chicago Bears draft Caleb Williams, Grade - A

Given that Williams was the quarterback that many teams have been plotting to draft over the course of the past two seasons, this is easiest A that will be handed out during the 2024 NFL Draft. Especially when you consider the fact that the Bears are making the selection through having the rights to the Carolina Panthers' 2024 first-round pick.

That is what makes the Bears' selection of Williams so unique. The Bears were a 7-win team last season and given the offseason additions of D'Andre Swift, Keenan Allen, and Gerald Everett, the expectation is that the team should contend for a playoff spot in 2024. Not to mention, the soft landing that Williams will have given the playmakers that the team has on offense.

The Bears addressed their biggest need with the selection of Williams and did so by taking the best quarterback prospect entering the NFL since Andrew Luck. For once, Bears fans did not need to have anxiety over a draft selection where the decision was not predetermined.