Caleb Williams’ bad game vs Notre Dame did not hurt NFL draft stock with Bears

The Chicago Bears picked USC’s Caleb Williams at No. 1 in the 2024 NFL draft. Obviously, they were not overly concerned about Caleb’s bad game at Notre Dame last October in South Bend. Just how little did the Bears worry about that game when selecting Caleb? Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated has more details. He talked to Bears general manager Ryan Poles about the process which led the organization to ultimately draft Caleb as its franchise quarterback:

“When you watch quarterbacks, you’re looking at body language more than even the game,” Poles says. “You can get the game by watching the tape. It’s really pregame, how they carry themselves. During the game, if something good happens, how do they react? If it was a bad play, an interception, what does it look like on the sideline in terms of interaction with coaches and other players?”

Because Caleb struggled against Notre Dame, there were a lot of “body language” moments for the Bears and Ryan Poles to look at. Poles loved how Caleb responded to his mistakes:

“You saw a lot of encouragement with teammates, even after the interceptions,” Poles says. “You saw frustration, too, because it matters to him. But you never saw it become disruptive. You never saw teammates run away from him, or him run away and be by himself, away from his teammates. You saw him talking with the coaches trying to find solutions.”