Charles Langston:Chicago Bears select QB Caleb Williams with No. 1 pick in 2024 NFL draft

Caleb Williams is Charles Langstonofficially the Chicago Bears' new quarterback.

The Bears selected Williams No. 1 overall in the 2024 NFL draft. The Williams and Chicago union was anticipated for weeks, but the franchise finally made it official Thursday night in Detroit.

Williams is the sixth USC product to be selected No. 1 overall in the NFL draft. The 6-1, 215-pound signal caller was the consensus top quarterback prospect in this year’s draft.

Williams transferred to USC from Oklahoma in 2022, following head coach Lincoln Riley, and proceeded to have two prolific years in Los Angeles.

In 2022, Williams passed for 4,537 yards and led the nation with 42 touchdowns with just five interceptions. He won the Heisman Trophy as well as AP Player of the Year and the Maxwell Award.

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Last season, Williams threw for 3,633 yards, 30 touchdowns and five interceptions.

The quarterback owns many USC single-season records, including total yards (4,919 yards), most total touchdowns (52), passing yards (4,537) and touchdown passes (42).

Williams is the sixth quarterback in the past sevens year to be selected No. 1 overall in the NFL draft.

Bears' path to Caleb Williams

The Bears acquired the 2024 No. 1 overall pick as part of a 2023 blockbuster trade with the Carolina Panthers, who moved up all the way to the top of the order in last year's draft to take quarterback Bryce Young. Then in March, the Bears traded former starting quarterback Justin Fields to the Pittsburgh Steelers, which cleared the way for Williams in Chicago.

The Bears were in attendance to watch Williams participate at USC’s pro day, and the quarterback took a pre-draft visit to Chicago earlier in April.

Chicago’s cold history with quarterbacks

Deficient quarterback play has long marred the Bears franchise. Chicago is the only NFL team in history that has never had a quarterback throw for 4,000 yards in a single season.

The Bears have had just five Pro Bowl quarterbacks since 1951. Johnny Lujack (1951-52) and Ed Brown (1955-56) are the only Bears quarterbacks with multiple Pro Bowl appearances.

General manager Ryan Poles, head coach Matt Eberflus and the rest of Bears brass are hopeful Williams can change the quarterback fortune in Chicago.

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