Bears could play matchmaker with Caleb Williams and top wide receiver prospect in the first round

Day 2 of the 2024 NFL Combine is here and before the on-field testings begin for the defensive backs and tight ends in this year's class, the quarterbacks and wide receivers finally met with the reporters for their official media availability. Today's media session was a great opportunity for the Chicago Bears to get a […]

Kole Noble Chicago Bears News Writer
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Mar 1, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Washington wide receiver Rome Odunze (WO22) talks to the media during the 2024 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

Day 2 of the 2024 NFL Combine is here and before the on-field testings begin for the defensive backs and tight ends in this year's class, the quarterbacks and wide receivers finally met with the reporters for their official media availability.

Today's media session was a great opportunity for the Chicago Bears to get a more personable look at the quarterback and wide receiver class that the team could be expected to pursue in April's draft.

The Bears are in current possession of the first and ninth overall picks in the first round and could address both positions with their top two selections.

As it stands, the Bears are heavily connected to USC's quarterback Caleb Williams who is now expected to be selected by Chicago with the first overall pick. Williams himself said that it's always been his dream to be selected first overall in the draft.

Williams had his first formal meeting with the Bears on Wednesday and spoke with the media for the first time at Lucas Oil Stadium this morning.

"It was good, everybody was cool," Williams said regarding his meeting with the Bears. "It was really nice. They were mainly testing me on my mental and seeing how I would handle things. They put a play up on the board and then 10-15 minutes later they asked me to recall and things like that. It was a good meeting."

As for his interview with the reporters in attendance, Williams was asked specifically about the Bears and his thoughts on where the franchise is headed.

"The Bears were a 7-10 team last year and that's pretty good for a team that has the first pick," Williams said. "They got a good defense, they got good players on their offense. It's pretty exciting if you could go into a situation like that."

Williams also mentioned the Bears' fans as "pretty rowdy" and stated his only question for the Bears would be "do you want to win."

It was a pretty telling first look at the Bears top draft prospect who also met with the Washington Commanders, New England Patriots, New York Giants, Atlanta Falcons, New York Jets, Minnesota Vikings and the Las Vegas Raiders. 

During the wide receiver portion of the interviews, all eyes were on Washington wide receiver Rome Odunze who will be the top prospect at the position taking part in the on-field testing on Saturday. Odunze also met with a wide range of teams and came off the podium with one of the more impressive sessions of the day.

When asked to describe his game, Odunze compared himself to Raiders' All-Pro wide receiver Davante Adams and believes he's the best wide receiver in the class.

"I just think my versatility on the field, I've shown all the skills that can translate to the NFL at a high level," Odunze explained. "I think who I am as a person, who I'll be to a locker room and who I'll be in the community are all A+."

Odunze was also asked about the opportunity to potentially join forces and catch passes from the top quarterback in the class at the next level and shared a glowing evaluation about Williams.

"I got to see Caleb first hand. I got to see his talents and abilities,” Odunze said. "[Being paired with him would be] something special."

The only team with the capabilities of making that combination a real possibility is the Bears considering they are currently the only team with multiple first-round picks. The Bears could have a real shot to make that pairing come true if Odunze is available when the Bears are back on the clock with the ninth overall pick.

It would be quite the rookie pairing to come to Chicago on the opening night of the draft that would immediately transform the team's offense. With Williams at quarterback, Odunze in the middle of the field and wide receiver DJ Moore on the outside, it would be quite the trio to try and defend against.