On Thursday, the Chicago Bears will kick off the 2024 NFL Draft, presumably by selecting USC quarterback Caleb Williams No. 1 overall.
While the Williams pick has been assumed for months, Bears general manager Ryan Poles played coy in his pre-draft news conference on Tuesday.
"Unfortunately, it's one of those things where everyone's got to tune in on Thursday to watch," Poles told reporters. "But I feel pretty good about our process and where we are and where we're headed. We know what we're going to do. Everyone's going to have to wait until Thursday night."
Williams was the only quarterback the Bears brought to Halas Hall for a top 30 visit, and it was also the only pre-draft visit the quarterback took.
During Williams' visit, the Bears had some current players on hand to meet the quarterback.
"I think it just confirmed a lot of information that we've got," Poles said of the meeting. "There's a test of where his football understanding is. That part getting him with the coaches, that was a very positive interaction there. And then getting him with some of our players. That's important to us. We're in a really good place with our culture in our locker room. As much as I can I want those guys a part of the process of building this team. I trust their feedback."
The feedback from those players was positive, and Poles rejected the stereotypes with which Williams has been labeled over the past few months.
“(He’s a) really intelligent guy. Came across as a really good teammate," Poles said. "Easy to talk to. Down to earth. We've talked through this process about the whole Hollywood thing. He's all ball. Wants to work. Wants to get better. Wants to win as a team. That's the No. 1 thing for him on top of being successful. The biggest thing is does he fit in our culture and what we're trying to do and all signs were that he does. So that was positive."
In two days, the Bears can make the marriage with Williams official.