The Chicago Bears welcomed five new rookies to the roster during the 2024 NFL draft, a group that prompted general manager Ryan Poles to call this an “impact” draft.
That starts with the selection of quarterback Caleb Williams at first overall, giving Chicago their best quarterback prospect maybe ever. But then the Bears also managed to snag an elite wide receiver in Rome Odunze at ninth overall, pairing this young quarterback and receiver together for the foreseeable future.
Chicago then shored up key positions along the offensive line with tackle Kiran Amegadjie (Round 3), pass rush with Austin Booker (Round 5) and even landed a generational punter in Tory Taylor (Round 4).
Draft experts agree that the Bears were among the biggest winners following the draft, and The Athletic’s Dane Brugler actually ranked them higher than any other group.
Brugler’s favorite draft pick was, of course, Williams — although he did also consider Odunze. Amegadjie also got a shout-out.
Obviously, teams with multiple early-round picks have a decided advantage for this exercise over those with fewer selections. But the Bears aren’t No. 1 merely because they had two top-10 picks. They’re here because of what they did with those picks — and I went back and forth on my “favorite” between Williams and wide receiver Rome Odunze. The answer, though, has to be the quarterback who can be a franchise-changing player for Chicago. I am also a fan of third-round OT Kiran Amegadjie, who has the talent to be Chicago’s left tackle of the future.
As for a player he believes could surprise, Brugler singled out Booker, who Chicago traded back into the draft to land as a piece of their defensive line.
Chicago only had two Day 3 choices, and I’m not going to pick the punter (Tory Taylor). The Bears used a 2025 fourth-round pick to trade back into this draft (at No. 144) and scoop up Booker, who easily could have been drafted on Day 2. Although he isn’t ready for a meaningful role as a rookie, Booker has the promising pass-rush savvy to be a steal when we look back at this selection in two or three years.
When looking at this 2024 draft class, the Bears landed two elite prospects in the top 10 to help take their offense to the next level. Adding Williams and Odunze to a group that already includes playmakers like DJ Moore, Keenan Allen, D’Andre Swift and Cole Kmet was a slam dunk.
Even with the addition of Booker, there are still some concerns about the defensive line. Will DeMarcus Walker and Booker prove to be a viable tandem opposite Montez Sweat? Is it Gervon Dexter’s time to shine at three-technique? Will they add another edge rusher and/or defensive tackle?
There are still moves to be made this offseason. But it’s shaping up to be a promising year.
