The Chicago Bears have the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, and it’s almost guaranteed they will select USC quarterback Caleb Williams. The Bears traded 2021 No. 11 pick Justin Fields to the Pittsburgh Steelers this offseason, which only made it more obvious who they would take with the top pick on Thursday night.
Williams will become a Bear in less than 10 hours when his NFL career officially begins. Chicago also has the No. 9 selection in the draft, but who it will take with that pick isn’t as obvious as its plan with Williams.
If it came down to the franchise’s future QB in the draft room, reviewing scouting reports and making decisions about who the team would add to its roster, Williams said he would select a former teammate.
When asked who he wanted the Bears to select when they were on the clock again, he said, “I would probably pick Olu Fashanu because I know he would put his life on the line for me, protecting me .”
Fashanu, an offensive tackle at Penn State, and Williams were high school teammates when they attended Gonzaga College in Washington, D.C. CBS Sports’ mock drafts have Fashanu moving from No. 6 to No. 14.
As for his other pick, he said, “Then I would probably pick one of the top three wide receivers, whoever is there at nine.”
It’s no surprise that Williams wants a player he trusts to block for him and a solid pass catcher to throw to him. Top receivers include Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison Jr., LSU’s Malik Nabers and Washington’s Rome Odunze.
