Bears GM Ryan Poles has the Nos. 1 and 9 picks in the draft Thursday.
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Bears general manager Ryan Poles has indicated throughout the last several months that the team is moving forward with USC’s Caleb Williams as its quarterback. He’s the consensus top talent in the draft, and the Bears have the No. 1 pick, but Poles stopped short of announcing that he’ll be the selection.
“We know what we’re gonna do,” he said Tuesday. But everyone’s gonna have to wait until Thursday to see.”
Williams has long been expected to be the top pick in the draft, and the Bears have operated for months as though they plan on him being their incoming quarterback.
The only quarterbacks currently on the roster are Tyson Bagent and Brett Rypien, who have a combined eight career starts.
Williams won the 2022 Heisman Trophy and over his last two seasons at USC totaled 72 touchdown passes in 26 games.
The Bears have the No. 9 pick based on going 7-10 last season and got the No. 1 pick from their trade with the Panthers last year. The Bears had the No. 1 pick in the 2023 draft, but dealt it to the Panthers in a move back to No. 9 that landed them their 2024 first-rounder, 2025 second-rounder and wide receiver DJ Moore.
In making that trade, the Bears recommitted to quarterback Justin Fields, but Poles was ready to make a change this year and traded Fields to the Steelers last month.