The Chicago Bears hoped they were drafting an all-timer in quarterback Caleb Williams with the No. 1 pick last year, though so far the selection has proven something of a mixed bag.
Williams is undeniably gifted physically, with an elite arm and the ability to make plays with his legs/out of structure. He has also proven his toughness, starting all 17 games for Chicago last season despite a 5-12 record that included a 10-game losing streak and taking 68 sacks on the year, which led the NFL.
The 23-year-old needs to hurt his team less by making quicker decisions, but he produced more than 3,500 passing yards, 20 TDs and just 6 INTs, protecting the ball even if he didn’t do a good job of protecting himself. The addition of three new starting offensive linemen this offseason and new head coach Ben Johnson, a reputed quarterback guru over the last three years as the offensive coordinator of the Detroit Lions, should help in that regard.
Williams also earned respect inside of the locker room, even though the team struggled for much of the campaign and failed to meet its preseason expectations. Part of that was due to his willingness to speak up during tough stretches as well as his willingness to take responsibility for his failures as the starting QB, including pulling heat off the offensive line for several of those 68 sacks and blaming his own play instead.
Williams talked the part of the franchise quarterback again recently in an interview with Esquire, when he said he’s not in the business of professional football to make friends with his opponents.
“The NFL game has become very friendly,” Williams said, per Sportskeeda. “I don’t want to be friends because I want to keep that competitive advantage.”
Bears Have Produced Somewhat Polarizing Offseason Via Free Agency, Trades
Analysts have offered mixed reviews on Chicago’s offseason to this point.
There is no question the team improved by trading for two starting offensive guards — Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson, formerly of the Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Rams, respectively — and signing a starting center in Drew Dalman, formerly of the Atlanta Falcons, via free agency.
However, some analysts have questioned whether the Bears gave up too much in terms of draft capital for Thuney (2026 fourth-round pick) and Jackson (2025 sixth-round pick), and/or overpaid for Dalman (three years, $42 million) after he missed eight games with injury last season and sat out three contests the year prior.
The offensive tackle positions, while filled with reasonable talents in Braxton Jones and Darnell Wright, are far from elite. There is also the question of what wide receiver Rome Odunze’s second season is going to look like, as he presumably steps permanently into the No. 2 role behind DJ Moore following the departure of veteran Keenan Allen this spring.
Chicago could also look to upgrade the offensive backfield after running back D’Andre Swift put up the worst yards per carry average of his five-year career in 2024 (3.8).
Bears Have 4 Picks in First 3 Rounds of NFL Draft to Bolster Roster
Fortunately for Chicago, the team still holds a considerable amount of draft stock, which includes three picks inside the top 41 (Nos. 10, 39, 41) as well as pick Nos. 72 and 148 in the third and fifth rounds, respectively. The Bears also pick twice in the seventh round.
Tight end Tyler Warren, who caught 104 passes for more than 1,200 yards for Penn State last season, is a trending pick for Chicago at No. 10, while Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty could also be in the mix if he falls past the Las Vegas Raiders at No. 6.
But the running back class is deep in 2025, and the Bears can certainly find value there in the early second or mid-third rounds. In his most recent mock draft, ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. predicted that Chicago will draft Warren at No. 10, defensive tackle Walter Nolen out of Ole Miss to provide QB pressure up the middle at No. 39 and Ohio State running back TreVeyon Henderson at No. 41.
