Chicago Bears slammed for 2024 Draft picks, frustration sure to bubble up

The Chicago Bears have collected a ton of “A” grades for their 2024 NFL Draft performance late last month. And, although the team only had five picks (they acquired one extra; a fifth-round pick from the Buffalo Bills), many experts feel they made the most of this draft.

USC blue-chip quarterback Caleb Williams, who many have called a franchise-altering selection, and Washington wide receiver Rome Odunze were selected with Chicago’s two first-round spots (overall no. 1 and no. 9, respectively). They also picked up record-smashing Iowa punter Tory Taylor in the fourth round. Additionally, they added high-ceiling works in progress, offensive tackle Kiran Amegadjie from Yale, and Kansas edge rusher Austin Booker, in the third and fifth rounds.

Some experts, however, are not too enamored with the Bears’ selections or the wisdom behind making those picks.

Chicago Bears Dropped the Ball in 2024 Draft?

In a piece written by Mike Sando for The Athletic, unnamed NFL execs voiced their thoughts on Chicago’s draft and concerns over whether the team’s master plans would pay dividends.

In reference to Caleb Williams, one exec predicted frustration in the future, for all parties.

“If you hold the football in college, you’re not all of a sudden learning how to get rid of it on time in the pros,” the exec told The Athletic. “They are surrounding this quarterback with weapons, thinking that he can go through progressions and distribute the football on time, and that is not his game. You traded for a veteran receiver (Keenan Allen) who is used to catching passes from Philip Rivers and Justin Herbert. He is going to be frustrated if his young quarterback does not operate on time.”

Odunze a Mistake?

As for Rome Odunze, another executive questioned whether picking the wide receiver was the right move at all, especially with two veteran receivers already on the team, slated for no. 1 and no. 2 spots, and a need for defensive talent.

“I would have traded back,” the exec said, referring to the Bears’ overall no. 9 spot in the draft. “The idea of taking the third-best receiver, unless he was rated as their top receiver, I don’t like that when I could trade back and get the best defensive player to fill a hole at three-technique or a hole opposite Montez Sweat. They could have a harder time than you think outscoring people unless Caleb starts out really strong.”

Odunze was NOT a Mistake?

In a Brad Biggs article for the Chicago Tribune, however, another unnamed executive is quoted as being fully behind the acquisition of Odunze, even comparing him to one Bears standout currently on the team.

“I like the selection of Odunze and believe he has a chance to be a terrific player for the Bears,” he told the Tribune. “One personnel man described him back in the fall as a bigger version of [DJ] Moore. Can he be that physical and difficult to bring down after the catch? Time will tell. Moore is like a running back with the ball in his hands after making a catch downfield.

“It’s a mistake to look at the roster in the vacuum of only the 2024 season and talk about filling holes and remaining needs. You have to take a long view when evaluating draft picks, especially first-round selections, and project them over the course of three or four years and the impact they can make on the roster. Allen is signed for only this season, and absent an extension for him, the Bears would have a gaping hole opposite Moore if they didn’t add a legitimate option this year.”

The critics, though, seem to be few and far between and even the most cynical acknowledge that the impact of draft picks is almost always a long-range project rather than an instant fix.

“They did a really good job,” another executive from The Athletic pointed out. “But I always laugh when people say you had an A-plus draft. It’s a process, not a quick fix.”

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