3 Playmakers the Bears Should Draft for Caleb Williams
All signs point to the Chicago Bears drafting USC QB Caleb Williams at this month's draft. If that's the case, the Bears must also target these three playmakers to pair alongside him.
It's an exciting time to be a football fan with the 2024 NFL Draft just a few weeks away. The Chicago Bears hold the first overall selection in Detroit on April 25 with all signs pointing to them drafting USC quarterback Caleb Williams to be the new face of the franchise going forward.
Assuming that the Bears go with Williams, they've already spent part of the offseason preparing for his arrival. They went out and acquired Pro Bowl wide receiver Keenan Allen from the Los Angeles Chargers and even signed veteran running back D'Andre Swift to a three-year contract. That's without mentioning returning names like DJ Moore and Cole Kmet.
Having said that, there's always room for more playmakers. As solid as the above group is, let's not forget that Allen and Moore's contracts both expire over the next two offseasons. It'd be wise for Chicago to think about bringing in more weapons for Williams who have the potential to stick around for years to come.
With that in mind, let's look at three playmakers the Bears can draft to pair alongside Williams.
1. WR Rome Odunze, Washington
The Bears are fortunate enough to hold not one but TWO top-10 draft picks this year. After likely selecting Williams first overall, Chicago must then think about who it'll draft at No. 9.
Here's a sugestion: Washington wide receiver Rome Odunze.
After a 2022 breakout season with the Huskies, Odunze took his game to the next level last season. The 6-foot-3, 212-pound playmaker embarrassed defense after defense as he racked up an NCAA-leading 1,640 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns on a Pac-12-best 92 receptions. Not only did he earn his second straight first-team conference nod, but he was also named Consensus All-American for the first time.
"@RomeOdunze is ready to step into an NFL team, become the #1 wide receiver in some places, and put up big numbers" 📈@BaldyNFL on which Rookie WR will have the biggest impact day 1 🤔 pic.twitter.com/6ExnWso8RH
— NFL Total Access (@NFLTotalAccess) April 3, 2024
Outside of his below-average blocking and occasional struggles against physical defensive backs, Odunze doesn't have many weaknesses. His body control combined with solid catch radius and route-running make him one of the more NFL-ready players in this year's class.
A WR room featuring Odunze, Moore, and Allen would give opponents an endless amount of headaches, making the Washington pass-catcher the perfect playmaker for Williams.