Bears NFL Draft grades 2024: What Chicago didn't do, and one thing it definitely got right
LAKE FOREST, ILLINOIS – APRIL 26: Rome Odunze #15 and Caleb Williams #18 of the Chicago Bears pose for a photo during their introductory press conference at Halas Hall on April 26, 2024 in Lake Forest, Illinois. Caleb Williams was selected first overall and Rome Odunze was selected ninth overall in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft Thursday.
The Chicago Bears just finished up what is promised to be a transformative NFL Draft. While small, with just five players heading to Halas Hall, the 2024 draft class oozes with talent, starting with No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams. The USC quarterback was the consensus No. 1 pick and billed as a generational talent at the position, which has eluded the Bears in their franchise history up until this point.
And that was just the start of it. Below, we’re going highlight Chicago’s 2024 draft, look at each pick’s grade from our CBS Sports experts, and then come away with two takeaways. First, we’ll cover what the Bears were unable to accomplish at the draft. Lastly, we’ll highlight what they absolutely got right.
Let’s dive in.
Bears draft picks
| ROUND | PICK | PLAYER | GRADE |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Caleb Williams, QB, USC | A- | |
| 9 | Rome Odunze, WR, Washington | B+ | |
| 75 | Kiran Amegadjie, OT, Yale | A- | |
| 122 | Tory Taylor, P, Iowa | C- | |
| 5 | 144 | Austin Booker, DL, Kansas | B |
What Bears got wrong
The Bears had options with the No. 8 overall pick but opted to lean into the offense (more on that below). While that maneuver helped the club on the offensive side of the ball, they did depart the 2024 NFL Draft without an interior defensive lineman, which was a need. Chicago drafted Kansas defensive end Austin Booker in the fifth round, but he should be looked at as a developmental piece along the defensive line rather than a running mate with the likes of Montez Sweat off the edge. On the interior, the Bears did lose defensive tackle Justin Jones to the Cardinals in free agency and still have a noticeable hole there beyond nose tackle Andrew Billings. Gervon Dexter, Zacch Pickens and Byron Cowart currently headline the position group.
What Bears got right
We’re not going to overcomplicate this. The Bears nailed the first round in a draft where they absolutely needed to. The Williams selection was a foregone conclusion, so it’s hard to give them too much credit there. However, they did land a generational talent, who should be a Day 1 impact player under center. Meanwhile, Ryan Poles let the board come to him as the top 10 rounded out and made a spectacular selection in Washington receiver Rome Odunze. Drafting a defensive lineman could’ve been an option there, but with Odunze sitting there it made all the sense in the world to double down on offense. Keenan Allen was a savvy veteran pickup earlier this offseason, but the 32-year-old is only signed through this coming season. The arrival of Odunze solidifies that Williams will have a top-flight running mate throughout his rookie contract.