Grading Chicago Bears rookie class after quarter point of 2024 season
Now that the Chicago Bears rookie class has had four games in the NFL, we can take a look back and see where each player stands. Have they hit their expectations, and what can we takeaway from how they have adjusted to the NFL in the early portion of the season?
1. Caleb Williams
This will obviously be the one that everyone is going to focus on. The Bears could hit on all of their other picks from this draft, but if Williams falters, this draft will always be remembered by that. So far, Williams has not lived up to the expectations, although those may have been unfair.
Because Williams was deemed such a rare prospect, and because his wide receivers had big names, and because they made a big move at running back and they were active along the offensive line, the thought was that Williams may be the rare player to hit the ground running in Chicago. Instead, the line has been in flux, the receivers have had injuries, the play calling is up and down, and Williams himself could play better.
To be fair, Williams has shown clear growth over the past two weeks. Still, is that because he is improving, or is that because the Titans and Texans' defenses have proven to be better than the Colts and Rams' defenses?
Positives about William's game are that he has gotten the ball out quickly, his short accuracy is present, he is mobile and can buy time in the pocket, and he has the physical ability to throw balls with velocity and distance despite not being completely set with his feet.
Issues include taking too many sacks when he faces pressure, even if the pressure was not caused by him. However, he can create pressure of his own at times, and his deep ball accuracy has been non-existent to this point in the season. He has not been as good as fans wanted but is clearly not on the track to be a bust.