Ryan Pace Needs To Go With Best WR With Second Pick In Round One
With Caleb Williams set to become the Bears’ first selection in the NFL Draft, which is now only single-digit days away, the focus has been on what to do with their second selection in round one. Most mock drafts being pushed on social media have Ryan Poles selecting Rome Odunze with the ninth overall selection.
That needs to happen.
The opportunity to pair Odunze with Caleb Williams would be unprecedented in Bears history. Pairing Williams and Odunze together on rookie contracts would be Poles’ best move. The Bears’ passing offense has been among the league-worst for decades. You must search long and hard to find a decent season for their passing offense. Sid Luckman set a record unlikely to be broken in 1943 when he threw for 28 TDs on 202 passing attempts. His 13.9% Passing TD percentage is a record that will never be broken. Peyton Manning is the closest modern-day QB. His best year was 2004 at 9.9%.
The Bears led the league in passing in 1965. Erik Kramer connected on 29 TDs and 3,838 yards in 1995. Jay Cutler was close to 4,000 yards passing (3,812) and 30 TDs (28) in 2014, but he was sidelined in week 15.
The Chicago Bears are the only team in NFL history to never have a QB throw for c TDs in a single season. They have also never had a QB throw for more than 4,000 yards in a season.
Caleb Williams Can Rewrite Bears Passing Records In His Rookie Year
Usually, a quarterback chosen with the top selection in any draft has a tough hill to climb. The team drafting first overall is seldom stocked with talent. The 2024 Chicago Bears do not fit that mold. This is a team that improved greatly during the 2023 season. After losing four straight to open the season, they were victorious in five of their last eight games. Their defense was dominant over the second half of the season.
This off-season, Ryan Poles has fortified the offense. Every position group has been upgraded. Keenan Allen, Gerald Everett, and D’Andre Swift add much-needed firepower to the offense.
Caleb Williams will be stepping into perhaps the greatest opportunity a rookie QB has ever seen when he is selected first overall on April 25th.
The only reason Poles would have not taking a WR with their second first-round pick is the unlikely event Harrison, Odunze, and Nabers all get drafted before the Bears’ selection later in round one.