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.
Caleb Williams Grade: C+
2. Rome Odunze
It is hard to walk away from the first four games of Rome Odunze and not say that you want more. We have seen spurts and moments where he has lived up to his drafted expectations. Odunze had 112 yards in Week 3.
However, in the other three games, he has 4 catches for 54 yards combined.
It does not help that Malik Nabers had 386 yards, Brian Thomas had 275 yards, Marvin Harrison Jr. had 243 yards, and even Ladd McConkey had 176 yards while Odunze is at 166, fifth-most amongst rookies.
Some of this is because he is not the best receiver on his roster, where the others typically are. He also played through an injury in week two. Lastly, he has been open at times, but Williams has not had a good enough deep ball.
Still, for a top-ten pick, the consistency is not there and that is the most concerning.
Rome Odunze Grade: C+
3. Kiran Amegadjie
Kiran Amegadjie has been active in the past two weeks after being inactive to start the season. He even logged four special teams snaps. Still, he has not played and he was not expected to through four games, so it is hard to say anyone should be disappointed.
Still, the offseason did not go his way, which makes him more incomplete than some would like. He dealt with injuries and did not take a single snap in the preseason. At least they get to see him practice, and their comfort in making him active shows that if an injury were to occur, they trust him to get on the field.
Kiran Amegadjie grade: B+
4. Round Four, Pick 122, Tory Taylor
It is hard to say anything negative about Tory Taylor, and that is hard to do considering how high he went. Unless Taylor is one of the best punters in the NFL, the pick seems nonsensical, but he has already proven to be that, and he has had an influence on games.
Tory Taylor Grade: B+
5. Round Five, Pick 144, Austin Booker
Austin Booker has been a solid addition in the fifth round. He has 48 snaps on defense through four weeks, with two pressures recorded and four tackles. He played a career-high 20 snaps against the Houston Texans and played 14 snaps last week against the Los Angeles Rams, his two most productive games of the season.
The Bears have had solid contributions from their top three pass rushers, so they have not needed Booker as much, but if they do need him, they have to feel good about how he has looked in limited work.