DETROIT—University of Southern California quarterback Caleb Williams is heading to the Windy City, aiming to become the franchise signal-caller Chicago has sought for decades.
The Bears selected Williams with the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft on Thursday night after deciding weeks ago to bank on the 2022 Heisman Trophy winner.
The Washington Commanders followed up by taking 2023 Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels from Louisiana State, and the New England Patriots took North Carolina’s Drake Maye at No. 3, making it the fourth draft with quarterbacks going with the first three picks.
It matched 2021 (Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson, Trey Lance), 1971 (Jim Plunkett, Archie Manning, Dan Pastorini), and 1999 (Tim Couch, Donovan McNabb, Akili Smith).
The Arizona Cardinals snapped the trend, choosing Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. with the fourth pick. The Los Angeles Chargers then opened a new era under recently hired Coach Jim Harbaugh by taking 6-foot-8, 321-pound Notre Dame offensive tackle Joe Alt instead of giving quarterback Justin Herbert a No. 1 wide receiver to replace Keenan Allen and Mike Williams.
Wearing a navy suit with silver accents, Williams swiftly walked on stage and screamed “Woooo! Yeah!” before giving Roger Goodell a bear hug, careful not to squeeze too hard because the NFL commissioner had back surgery three weeks ago.
Rap icon Eminem walked on stage in a Lions sweatshirt and cap shortly after Mr. Goodell to kick off the night. The Motor City native riled up the fans before turning it over to Lions stars Jared Goff, Aidan Hutchinson, and Amon-Ra St. Brown, and Hall of Famers Barry Sanders and Calvin Johnson.
An estimated crowd of 150,000, many wearing their Honolulu-blue Lions jerseys, filled the streets surrounding the draft theater and turned the NFL’s biggest offseason event into a giant party.
Williams is the third quarterback Chicago has selected in the first round in the past eight years. Mitch Trubisky, the No. 2 overall pick in 2017, lasted four seasons. Justin Fields, the 11th pick in 2021, was traded away for a conditional sixth-round pick after three seasons.
The 22-year-old Williams is tasked with turning the Bears into a winner after years of futility. Chicago has had just two winning seasons since its most recent playoff victory in the 2010 season.
Williams was the clear front-runner in a quarterback-rich draft that includes Daniels, Maye, and Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy, who went 10th to the Minnesota Vikings. Six of the first 12 picks were quarterbacks, with the Atlanta Falcons selecting Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. eighth overall, and the Denver Broncos choosing Oregon’s Bo Nix at No. 12.
The Bears didn’t meet with any other quarterbacks, and Williams didn’t visit any other teams.
He impressed his future team over dinner with several Bears players last month, showing them he’s more substance than Hollywood style.
“It was good for them to be able to go back to the [front office] and speak on how I am instead of all the stuff that everybody sees every day on me,” Williams said Wednesday.
Bears General Manager Ryan Poles was convinced Williams was the right choice after receiving positive feedback from the veterans.
“He came across as a really good teammate, easy to talk to, down to earth,” Mr. Poles said this week. “We’ve talked through this process about the whole Hollywood thing. He’s all ball, wants to work, wants to get better, wants to win as a team. That’s the No. 1 thing for him on top of being successful. So, I think the biggest thing is, does he fit with our culture and what we’re trying to do? And all signs were that he does, so that’s a positive.”
Williams has lofty goals. He’s talked about playing 20 years for one team and chasing Tom Brady’s record of seven Super Bowl titles. The Bears have won only one Super Bowl, following the 1985 season.
A dual-threat player with a strong arm and ability to improvise, Williams threw 93 touchdown passes and ran for 27 scores in three seasons at Oklahoma and USC.
The Bears are the only NFL franchise that hasn’t had a quarterback throw for 4,000 yards or 30 touchdowns in a season. They passed on Bryce Young and C.J. Stroud last year, trading the No. 1 pick to Carolina in a blockbuster deal, only to wind up with the top choice this year after the Panthers went 2-15.
With the 19th overall selection, their first in the first round since taking quarterback Jared Goff in 2016, the Los Angeles Rams selected 6-3, 254-pound Florida State defensive end Jared Verse.
The San Francisco 49ers spent the 31st pick on speedy Florida wide receiver Ricky Pearsall.
UCLA’s Laiatu Latu, a 6-4, 259-pound defensive end, was the 15th overall pick by the Indianapolis Colts. He was the first defensive player selected after a record run of 14 consecutive offensive players to open the draft.
The draft continues Friday and Saturday.
