Caleb Williams enthusiastically stepped onto the stage and exclaimed, “Woooo! Yeah!” Chicago Bears fans, who have endured years of disappointment, shared in his excitement.
Williams is now bound for the Windy City, with hopes of becoming the long-awaited franchise quarterback that Chicago has been searching for.
“I aim to play as far as February,” Williams remarked, expressing his desire to lead the team to a Super Bowl victory, a feat that has eluded the Bears for nearly four decades.
The NFL draft kicked off with a historic start on Thursday night, as five other teams also selected quarterbacks within the top 12 picks. This marked a record with five quarterbacks taken in the top 10 and tied the record for the most quarterbacks chosen in the first round.
The first half of the draft was predominantly focused on offensive players, with defensive players not being chosen until later. UCLA edge rusher Laiatu Latu became the first defensive player selected at No. 15 by the Indianapolis Colts, marking the latest a defensive player has ever been chosen in the draft.
For the Bears, the decision was clear-cut, as they selected Williams with the first overall pick after committing to him weeks ago.
Williams highlighted his commitment to Chicago, emphasizing his dedication, passion, and desire to win for the team.
The Washington Commanders then selected Jayden Daniels, the 2023 Heisman Trophy recipient from LSU, and the New England Patriots followed suit by choosing North Carolina’s Drake Maye at No. 3. This marked the fourth consecutive draft where quarterbacks were chosen with the first three picks.
Surprisingly, the Atlanta Falcons opted for Washington QB Michael Penix Jr. at No. 8, despite recently signing Kirk Cousins to a lucrative contract in free agency.
Following suit, the Minnesota Vikings traded up and selected J.J. McCarthy from Michigan, who led his team to a national championship, making it five quarterbacks chosen within the top 10 for the first time.
With the 12th pick, the Denver Broncos selected Bo Nix from Oregon, matching the 1983 draft with six quarterbacks chosen in the first round. Three of those quarterbacks — John Elway, Dan Marino, and Jim Kelly — went on to become Hall of Famers.
Breaking the early quarterback trend, the Arizona Cardinals chose Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. with the fourth pick. Additionally, the Los Angeles Chargers kicked off the Jim Harbaugh era by selecting Notre Dame offensive tackle Joe Alt instead of drafting a No. 1 wide receiver to replace Keenan Allen and Mike Williams for Justin Herbert.
The New York Giants then grabbed LSU receiver Malik Nabers at No. 6. Following them, the Tennessee Titans selected Alabama offensive tackle J.C. Latham with the seventh pick, and the Bears opted for Washington wide receiver Rome Odunze at No. 9.
After dropping to No. 11, the New York Jets chose offensive tackle Olu Fashanu, aiming to provide Aaron Rodgers with more protection. Subsequently, the Las Vegas Raiders secured Georgia tight end Brock Bowers at No. 13. The New Orleans Saints then drafted Oregon State offensive tackle Taliese Fuaga with the 14th pick before the Colts selected Latu.
The latest a first defensive player was chosen was previously at No. 8. Following this trend, the Seattle Seahawks picked Texas defensive tackle Byron Murphy, and the Vikings orchestrated another trade to move up and select Alabama edge Dallas Turner at No. 17.
The Cincinnati Bengals opted for Georgia offensive tackle Amarius Mims, and the Los Angeles Rams secured Florida State edge Jared Verse at No. 19. This marked the Rams’ first first-round selection since drafting Jared Goff at No. 1 in 2016.
Wearing a navy suit with silver accents and flashing a big smile, Williams gave Roger Goodell a bear hug, being careful not to squeeze too hard due to the NFL commissioner’s recent back surgery.
Shortly after Goodell, rap icon Eminem took the stage in a Lions sweatshirt and cap to kick off the festivities. The Motor City native excited the fans before passing the spotlight to Lions stars Goff, Aidan Hutchinson, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and Hall of Famers Barry Sanders and Calvin Johnson.
St. Brown led the crowd in chanting “Jar-ed Goff!” and Johnson kept it brief: “Whaddup doe?” Around 275,000 people, many sporting their Honolulu blue Lions jerseys, filled the streets near the draft theater, turning the NFL’s major offseason event into a massive celebration.
Cheers erupted when the Lions traded up five spots with Dallas and picked Alabama cornerback Terrion Arnold with the 24th selection.
Williams, 22, becomes the third quarterback selected by Chicago in the first round in the last eight years, joining Mitch Trubisky and Justin Fields. They passed on Bryce Young and C.J. Stroud last year, then traded the No. 1 pick to Carolina, only to regain the top choice this year after the Panthers went 2-15.
In his first press conference as a pro, Williams exclaimed “Da Bears!” enthusiastically. Known for his dual-threat abilities, Williams threw 93 touchdown passes and ran for 27 scores in three seasons at Oklahoma and USC.
Daniels, 23, played three seasons at Arizona State and two at LSU, leading the nation in total offense last season with 4,946 yards.
“I don’t let football define me, who I am as a human being,” Daniels said. “This is something I do and I’m passionate about it.”
Maye is the second quarterback the Patriots have drafted in the first round since Tom Brady’s departure. Mac Jones didn’t pan out, so now it’s Maye’s turn to lead in a new era without longtime coach Bill Belichick.
The Pittsburgh Steelers picked versatile Washington offensive lineman Troy Fautanu at No. 20. Next, Penn State edge Chop Robinson was chosen by the Miami Dolphins, and the Philadelphia Eagles went with Toledo cornerback Quinyon Mitchell.
Wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. was selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars at No. 23. After the Lions picked Arnold, the Green Bay Packers chose Arizona offensive tackle Jordan Morgan, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers drafted Duke offensive lineman Graham Barton.
Missouri edge Darius Robinson was picked by Arizona. The two-time defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs traded with AFC rival Buffalo to move up and select Texas wideout Xavier Worthy at No. 28.
The Cowboys went with Oklahoma offensive tackle Tyler Guyton, and the Baltimore Ravens got Clemson defensive back Nate Wiggins.
The defending NFC champion San Francisco 49ers added another playmaker, selecting Florida wideout Ricky Pearsall, while the Carolina Panthers traded to get South Carolina wideout Xavier Legette with the last pick of the first round at No. 32.
