Getty Bears general manager Ryan Poles.
Most projections have the Chicago Bears taking USC’s Caleb Williams with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft, but the team is still doing its due diligence on at least one other top quarterback prospect in the class.
According to Senior Bowl executive director Jim Nagy, the Bears brought a heavy contingent to see quarterback J.J. McCarthy at Michigan’s pro day on March 22. Chicago’s group included general manager Ryan Poles, head coach Matt Eberflus, offensive coordinator Shane Waldron, quarterbacks coach Kerry Joseph and wide receivers coach Chris Beatty — all of whom attended Williams’ pro day on March 20.
The Bears confirmed their intentions to draft a new franchise quarterback on March 16 when they traded former starter Justin Fields to the Pittsburgh Steelers in exchange for a conditional 2025 draft pick. While Williams is considered the likely choice for them at No. 1 overall, they are making sure to leave no stone unturned in their scouting process.
McCarthy has steadily climbed the draft boards over the past few months after leading Michigan to a national championship and declaring for the NFL draft just days later. The 21-year-old has poise in the pocket and heaps of experience in a pro-style offense under former head coach Jim Harbaugh. He also demonstrated good arm strength and throwing velocity during his pro-day workout in front of NFL scouts last week.
The Bears also had opportunities to see several of Michigan’s other top offensive players in the 2024 draft, including running back Blake Corum, wide receivers Roman Wilson and Cornelius Johnson and interior offensive linemen Zak Zinter and Drake Nugent.
Bears Considered ‘99% Likely’ to Draft Caleb Williams
McCarthy is likely going to appeal to one of the quarterback-needy teams in the NFL and come off the board on the first night of the draft on April 25. That said, it appears that it would take a monumental shift in thinking between now and then for the Bears to move off their plans to draft Williams with the No. 1 overall selection.
According to Bill Zimmerman of Windy City Gridiron, a source told him the morning after USC’s pro day that the Bears’ evaluation of Williams is “90% to the finish line.” The same source also told him that it is “99% likely he will be the selection” at No. 1 overall — unless a “huge red flag” were to emerge over the next several weeks.
Even for skeptics unwilling to trust reporters’ sources on the matter, momentum has been building in other ways toward what is starting to feel like an inevitable decision for the Bears. According to The Chicago Tribune’s Brad Biggs, the Bears had at least nine representatives in attendance for Williams’ pro day — including new receiver Keenan Allen — and met extensively with Williams in the days leading up to his workout.
Simpler still is that many scouts consider Williams the best quarterback prospect in the 2024 class. Overeager media personalities have tossed around the term “generational” and compared him with the great Patrick Mahomes. At a minimum, though, Williams’ tape shows an elite-caliber quarterback with excellent arm strength and poise in the pocket as well as an innate ability to make magic happen when plays fall apart.
The Bears will still cover all their bases, but their choice is starting to feel inevitable.
How J.J. McCarthy Could Still Help Bears in 2024 Draft
The Bears are right to do their research on the other top quarterbacks in the class. After all, the previous Ryan Pace regime provided a good cautionary tale on what can happen when the homework is not done thoroughly. In 2017, Pace infamously traded up to take Mitchell Trubisky at No. 2 overall with Deshaun Watson and Mahomes still available.
While the situation in 2024 is not quite the same, Poles and his crew must get it right, hence why they checked out McCarthy and why they will most likely attend the pro days of both LSU’s Jayden Daniels (March 27) and UNC’s Drake Maye (March 28).
Even if the Bears stay the course and draft Williams, though, there is a way McCarthy could still help them get what they want in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft.
The Bears would be in an advantageous position if McCarthy were still on the board when they went to make their second of two first-round selections at No. 9 overall. McCarthy falling would likely mean all three of the top wide receivers — Marvin Harrison Jr., Malik Nabers and Rome Odunze — were taken in the first eight picks, which could increase Chicago’s willingness to move back and add more selections.
The Bears might still prefer to stay at No. 9 and draft either a left tackle or edge rusher to address other roster needs, but there could be an opportunity to get back into the second round if there is even one team desperate to move up for their future passer. The Minnesota Vikings (No. 11), Denver Broncos (No. 12) and Las Vegas Raiders (No. 13) all have motives for drafting a quarterback, so keep an eye on movement there.