The Chicago Bears won’t be on the clock until Thursday night, but they already know who they’re going to select with the No. 1 overall pick.
Speaking to the media Tuesday afternoon, Bears manager Ryan Poles confirmed that his staff has decided who it wants to draft with the top pick.
“So unfortunately, it’s one of those things I think everyone’s got to tune in on Thursday to watch and figure out,” Poles said, via NBC Sports Chicago. “But I feel really good about our process and where we are and where we’re headed. So we know what we’re going to do but everyone is going to have to wait until Thursday.”
Just about every analyst and fan in the world believes the Bears will draft USC quarterback Caleb Williams. He’s widely regarded as the best quarterback in this draft class.
The Bears had a top-30 visit with Williams earlier this offseason. Poles spoke glowingly of the former Heisman trophy winner.
“Really intelligent guy. Came across as a really good teammate, easy to talk to, down to earth,” Poles said. “We’ve talked through this process about the whole Hollywood thing. He’s all ball, wants to work, wants to get better, wants to win as a team. That’s the No. 1 thing for him on top of being successful. I think the biggest thing is: Does he fit in our culture and what we’re trying to do. And all signs were that he does, so that was positive.”
We won’t have to wait long to find out if Williams is the future quarterback of the Bears.
The 2024 NFL Draft will begin this Thursday at 8 p.m. ET.