The Chicago Bears are once again on the clock with the first overall pick heading into the NFL Scouting Combine and this time, it's imperative that general manager Ryan Poles remains in that spot.

Last year, soon after the Combine ended, the Bears made a monster trade with the Carolina Panthers, allowing the Panthers to then select their top prospect with the first overall pick. This time around, the Bears can't afford to miss out on the top prospect in the 2024 NFL Draft class.

The Bears are heavily rumored to make a decision on quarterback Justin Fields by next week's Combine with the early belief that the team will decide to trade their former starter. If that's the case, all eyes are on the first overall pick to determine which prospect the Bears with take to replace Fields as the franchise quarterback.

Bears Pre-Combine Draft Fit, 1st Overall Pick: QB Caleb Williams

USC quarterback Caleb Williams is believed to be the best quarterback prospect to enter the NFL since Andrew Luck in 2012 and I am one of those people who share that same sentiment. Williams has the ability to be a generational player at the position and passing on him would be a massive mistake for the Bears.

At this time, the potential outcome still remains the same of the Bears keeping Fields as the starter and trading the first overall pick once again or selecting a different player entirely. However, heading into the Combine, that outcome becomes more and more slim with each passing day.

Williams is the Bears' best path toward sustained success as a franchise and the entire NFL landscape knows it. By selecting Williams with the first overall pick, the Bears can get perhaps the best quarterback prospect in franchise history while resetting their cap window in terms of paying a quarterback. 

Fields, if he remains in Chicago, will be entering into his fourth and final year of his rookie contract with a fifth-year option worth $25.6 million. By drafting Williams, the Bears are off the hook of paying a top quarterback contract for at least three years. The team can then use the extra cap to surround Williams with a top supporting cast.

Everything about this decision heavy favors drafting Williams with the first overall pick and heading into the Combine, that seems like the expected decision to be made.

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How will Caleb Williams fare in Shane Waldron's offense?

For those out there who are still Fields-believers heading into the offseason, you make strong points in being against a rookie quarterback. The Bears proved in 2023 that they are a few pieces away from being a playoff contender and having to deal with the growing pains of a rookie quarterback could set the team back.

The last three quarterbacks selected first overall had a combined seven wins during their rookie seasons; Bryce Young (2-14), Trevor Lawrence (3-14), and Joe Burrow (2-7-1). There's plenty of good reasons to be against having a rookie quarterback take over as the starter in Year 1 based on recent events.

In Chicago, Williams will also be walking into a new offensive scheme deployed by new offensive coordinator Shane Waldron and will have to adapt with the rest of the offense. Waldron played coy when asked about any specific quarterback questions on Thursday when speaking to the media for the first time since being hired but noted his offense will suit whoever ends up at quarterback.

"I felt different quarterbacks have been able to step foot into the system, be able to learn it quickly, and that starts with us being able to teach it in a good and efficient manner where they understand it," Waldron said.

Waldron was asked specifically about Williams potentially being the Bears quarterback next season but even had general remarks to say about him.

"My impression of a lot of these quarterbacks, all the college quarterbacks, was, what an unbelievable college season we just came off of with these guys making some of these dynamic plays down the stretch, whether it was leading into the championship games or the bowl games leading up to that, the regular season," he said. "There's multiple quarterbacks that have already performed on the highest stage, in big games and obviously [Williams is] one of them."

Waldron's offense he ran in Seattle was more pass oriented compared to the offense that the Bears ran over the past two seasons under former offensive coordinator Luke Getsy. His style of offense seems like a good fit for a rookie to fully be let loose on offense instead of being eased into the league. 

That being said, if Williams lands in Chicago, he will have full support to take the league by storm with the rest of the weapons continuing to be pieced together around him during this offseason.

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