If you didn't hear, it was a big weekend for the Bears. Three days and four picks later, Chicago has their franchise quarterback, one of the best wide recievers in this year's draft, and a punter! They really went and used a fourth round pick on a punter. They saw every player on the board and were like, cool, let's pick the punter.
In their defense, those types of heat checks are a little more understandable when you take Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze. The Bears had one hell of a draft weekend, and most of the internet agrees – which is pretty wild considering, you know, the internet. Here's how their draft performance graded out.
Rounding up Bears grades from league experts
NFL.com: A-
"Analysis: Williams and Odunze, combined with DJ Moore and Keenan Allen, could give the Bears their best passing attack since the merger. The second-round pick that was dealt to Washington for Montez Sweat should pay off now that his contract has been extended. Amegadjie should contribute as a backup in 2024 and has potential to start down the road."
USA Today: A+
"Duh. They got this draft’s best player, USC QB Caleb Williams, off the top and – perhaps – its next best in Washington WR Rome Odunze at No. 9. Kudos to GM Ryan Poles for the forward-looking trade of the No. 1 pick last year to Carolina, a deal that ultimately netted the franchise-shifting selection of Williams – opportunity being the convergence of luck and preparation and all that. There’s more. Last season’s trade deadline move for DE Montez Sweat for a second-rounder was the right call, expensive as it was. Round 5 pass rusher Austin Booker from Kansas has a chance to really shine on an already fortified defense. Even impressive Iowa P Tory Taylor is a weapon – and one getting some early ribbing from Williams."
Washington Post: A-
"Caleb Williams’s NFL play might justify the comparisons to Patrick Mahomes, or it might not, but the Bears had to find out. They made the right move by trading Justin Fields, keeping the No. 1 choice and using it on Williams. They also did well by using the ninth selection on WR Rome Odunze. Adding Yale offensive tackle Kiran Amegadjie in the third round was interesting. The Bears’ draft class was small but could be transformational, and the supporting cast around Williams on offense gives him a reasonable chance to thrive."
Bleacher Report: A
"Poles didn't enter the draft with a high volume of picks, but it's hard not to love what he did over the weekend. Odunze puts the finishing touches on the best supporting cast Chicago has given a quarterback in recent memory. Williams should put an end to the franchise's quarterback futility."
Pro Football Focus: A
"This decision came into focus after Chicago traded Justin Fields away earlier in the offseason. It’s the right decision for the Bears. Williams has the kind of unique playmaking ability that every team is looking for at the quarterback position, and he earned 90.0-plus PFF grades in three consecutive years to end his college career."
ESPN: B
"The Bears came into Round 1 with a chance to change the trajectory of their franchise. After years -- decades, even -- of quarterback futility, they traded away Justin Fields, clearing the path to take Caleb Williams at No. 1, the pick they received a year ago when they decided to stick with Fields and move out of the top spot with the Panthers. Chicago also owned the No. 9 pick, but the reality is it had just two other selections headed into the draft, the fewest of any team in the league. Sure, GM Ryan Poles has had a nice offseason, filling holes in free agency and via trades, but how much better could the Bears get with just four picks?"