The Chicago Bears welcomed five new rookies to the roster during the 2024 NFL draft, a group that general manager Ryan Poles called an “impact” class.
That started with the selections of quarterback Caleb Williams and wide receiver Rome Odunze at first and ninth overall, respectively. That alone made Chicago winners, but then they also added some potential steals in offensive tackle Kiran Amegadjie and edge rusher Austin Booker along with a generational punter in Tory Taylor.
NFL.com ranked the Bears’ draft class as the second best (behind only the Pittsburgh Steelers) with a solid A grade.
Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good. And to Bears GM Ryan Poles’ credit, he made his own luck by acquiring said pick from Carolina in a pre-draft trade last year. Furthermore, Chicago’s brain trust laid the foundation for Caleb to make a smooth transition into the NFL. Supported by a defense that’s infinitely more dependable than anything he experienced at USC, the preternaturally gifted passer is also surrounded by a cadre of weapons at running back (D’Andre Swift and Khalil Herbert), receiver (DJ Moore and Keenan Allen) and tight end (Cole Kmet and Gerald Everett). Oh, and eight picks after drafting Williams, the Bears snatched up Rome Odunze, a big-bodied playmaker who was the third wideout off the board in this class but would’ve been WR1 in many previous drafts.
General manager Ryan Poles went offensive-heavy with his first three selections — landing a potential generational quarterback and elite wide receiver in the first round. He also added a potential starting left tackle adding more depth to the offensive line.
While the Taylor selection came as a surprise, the Bears view him as a weapon who can flip the field and be a game-changer. Chicago regarded Booker highly enough to trade back into the draft and land him in the fifth round, when many believed he could be a first-round selection next year, had he returned to school.
We won’t be available to truly evaluate this draft class for a few years. But it certainly looks like, at first glance, that Poles landed an impact draft class.