For the second year in a row, the Chicago Bears are slated to pick inside the top-10 selections of the upcoming 2025 NFL Draft, and they better hope that this year’s incoming class of rookies makes a far bigger impact than those added to the roster last spring.
Despite selecting quarterback Caleb Williams No. 1 overall, and wide receiver Rome Odunze with the No. 9 pick, the Bears’ 2024 rookie class didn’t make nearly the kind of contributions overall that the franchise would have hoped for or expected.
Chicago Bears’ 2024 rookie class panned by Pro Football Focus
Pro Football Focus’ Bradley Locker ranked each team’s rookie class based on their impact on the 2024 season, with Chicago’s in just the middle of the pack, at No. 17 in the league.
“The Bears picked only five times in the 2024 NFL Draft,” Locker writes for PFF. “Meaning their ceiling for snap count would inherently be lower. Still, the team boasted two top-10 picks in Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze, and neither played like an outright star as a rookie: Williams’ 63.5 PFF passing grade was the fourth worst among the five rookie quarterbacks to qualify, while Odunze’s 65.9 PFF receiving grade ranked 10th out of 19 first-year wideouts. Aside from those two former Pac-12 stars, third-round pick Kiran Amegadjie was ineffective during his 119 snaps at left tackle, allowing eight pressures and a sack.”
While Williams never quite got his timing down with receivers D.J. Moore, Keenan Allen, or Odunze, and it led to an underwhelming rookie season, the Bears are banking on new head coach Ben Johnson’s arrival igniting the offense and jumpstarting Williams’ development.
The Bears’ additions of Joe Thuney, Drew Dalman, and Jonah Jackson along the interior of the offensive line could also boost Chicago’s young battery, given that Williams was sacked a whopping 68 times as a rookie which put a ceiling on Odunze’s output, as well.
Meanwhile, defensively, Austin Booker’s 1.5 sacks were underwhelming as well, which in part contributed to the Bears’ adding Dayo Odeyingbo early in free agency.
If Williams develops into the kind of franchise quarterback Chicago is banking on, little else from the 2024 draft will matter for the Bears. But, this upcoming draft could be a seminal moment when it comes to setting Williams up for success, elevating the talent across the roster, and lifting the franchise back into relevance.
Chicago Bears beef up Ben Johnson’s offense in ESPN’s latest mock draft
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