Chicago Bears Officially Clinch First Overall Draft Pick — What Does It Mean For Caleb Williams?

Come April, the Chicago Bears will once again have the No. 1 overall pick and a chance to draft USC quarterback Caleb Williams.

The Carolina Panthers suffered a 26-0 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, which means the Carolina clinched the worst record in the NFL. As a result of a trade with Chicago to get last year's No. 1, the Panthers now owe the Bears their first-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Chicago may get a chance to go after one of the highest-touted prospects this year and in recent history — USC quarterback Caleb Williams. That is, if Williams enters the draft.

The junior, who won the Heisman Trophy in 2022, has not officially declared for the NFL Draft yet, saying that it will be a "game-time decision" whether he opts for the draft or returns to USC for another season.

Although his 2023 season did not go as smoothly as his Heisman-winning season, Williams is expected to go within the first two picks if he chooses to get drafted, giving Chicago a shot at him. But there's a catch: Williams (and his father) have said that he might not declare depending on the NFL draft order.

Williams' father Carl Williams previously told GQ that he could make more money staying at USC another rather than being drafted by a team that he does not want to play for.

"He’d almost be better off not being drafted than being drafted first. The system is completely backwards,” Carl said. “The way the system is constructed, you go to the worst possible situation. The worst possible team, the worst organization in the league—because of their desire for parity—gets the first pick. So it’s the gift and the curse."

Carl even said he sought advice from other quarterbacks and coaches on this topic including Archie Manning and Lincoln Riley.

"I mean, I’ve talked to Archie Manning—his career was shot because he went to a horrible organization. I’ve talked to Lincoln [Riley], and Kyler [Murray] struggled because of where he was drafted. Baker [Mayfield] struggled mightily because of where he was drafted. The organizations matter," Carl said.

On top of that Williams previously liked a post on X (formerly Twitter) saying that the Bears should draft Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. instead of him with the first pick, according to NBC Sports.

Williams has previously pointed to teams like the Miami Dolphins, San Francisco 49ers, Las Vegas Raiders and Atlanta Falcons as teams he would be willing to play for.

Williams opted out of the Holiday Bowl against No. 16 Louisville on Wednesday, indicating an interest in preparing for the draft. (USC went on to win the Holiday Bowl 42-28 with Miller Moss under center for the Trojans — seemingly indicating that USC would be fine either way.)

But if Williams did decide to spend another year in college to avoid joining a subpar organization, he wouldn't be the first. Peyton Manning declined to enter the 1997 draft when the St. Louis Rams had the No. 1 pick. He went first overall to the Indianapolis Colts the next year instead.

Meanwhile, Eli Manning managed to avoid playing for the team with the top pick the year entered the draft in 2004. When the San Diego Charges drafted Eli that year, his family orchestrated a trade to send him to the New York Giants, where he spent his entire career.

The Bears are now 7-9 after Sunday's 37-17 win against the Atlanta Falcons, and currently hold the No. 10 pick in addition to the No. 1. However, Chicago is dealing with ongoing issues around third-year quarterback Justin Fields, who has not been giving the Bears the production it wants.

The Panthers, meanwhile, used that No. 1 pick on quarterback Bryce Young, who has been a mixed bag for the team. Carolina fired head coach Frank Reich after a 1-10 start to the season, and are now 2-14 with one regular-season game remaining.

For now, Chicago will have to wait — and know that there's at least UNC's Drake Maye.