Scouting the Chicago Bears 2024 Draft Class

Letter Grade: A+

Age: 22.44 Years Old

Height / Weight: 6'1" / 214 lbs

Anticipated Role: Starting Quarterback

NFL Comparison: Aaron Rodgers

Next 5 Players Drafted: Jayden Daniels (QB), Drake Maye (QB), Marvin Harrison Jr. (WR), Joe Alt (OT), Malik Nabers (WR)

Caleb Williams Career Stats

I believe Caleb Williams to be a different caliber of prospect than any quarterback the Bears have acquired in my lifetime. We have beaten this horse to death, but let's discuss it again. Coming out of high school, Williams was the top-rated quarterback in his recruiting class. He committed to the University of Oklahoma, following in the footsteps of Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray, and Jalen Hurts.

Williams started his career at Oklahoma backing up Spencer Rattler, who was selected by the New Orleans Saints in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL Draft. Halfway through the Sooners' rivalry game against Texas, Williams took over as the starter and never looked back. Oklahoma was down 35-17 when Williams entered the game, and he led the Sooners to a 55-48 win.

After his true freshman season, Williams followed head coach Lincoln Riley to USC. In 2022, Williams racked up ludicrous numbers on his way to winning the Heisman Trophy. He also won AP College Football Player of the Year, amongst other honors. In 2023, his stats came back down to earth after the team lost some high-end receiving talent to the NFL. But Williams still carried his team to an 8-5 record while ranking third in points per game.

"While he may not be flawless, all of his shortcomings are fixable, and many of them can be attributed to the circumstances he faced at USC. Williams undoubtedly stands out as the premier quarterback prospect in this class, and he probably would've been the top pick in several recent NFL Draft classes as well. Acquiring a talent of Williams' caliber while also resetting the quarterback contract window is the clear choice for the Bears."

- Building the Board Scout Steve Letizia

The Bears have done almost everything possible to make the circumstances around their rookie passer different this time. While it may not be the perfect scenario, it's hard to find a better situation for a No. 1 overall quarterback pick in recent history. And that makes me think that maybe, just maybe, Caleb Williams will be different for the Bears.

Round 1, Pick 9 - WR Rome Odunze

Letter Grade: A

Age: 21.89 Years Old

Height / Weight: 6'3" / 212 lbs

Anticipated Role: Starting X Wide Reciever in 11 personnel, playing on a heavy rotation in other personnel packages

NFL Comparison: DeAndre Hopkins

Next 5 Players Drafted: JJ McCarthy (QB), Olu Fashanu (OT), Bo Nix (QB), Brock Bowers (TE), Taliese Fuaga (OT)

Rome Odunze College Stats

In previous classes, Rome Odunze may have been the first wide receiver selected. From a grading perspective, the difference between him, Malik Nabers, and Marvin Harrison Jr. is razor-thin. Coming out of high school, Odunze was a four-star recruit, ranking as the No. 22 receiver in his recruiting class.

Odunze played a limited role in his first two collegiate seasons. Washington brought in Michael Penix Jr. to play quarterback for the 2022 season. The connection between the two was instant, as Odunze broke out in a big way. Odunze posted the fifth-most single-season receiving yards in school history in 2022 and earned first-team All-Pac 12 honors.

Odunze continued to improve in 2023, breaking the school's single-season receiving yards record while adding first-team All-Pac 12 and All-American accolades. The wideout finished his college career as Washington's second-all-time leading receiver in yards and receptions.

Odunze may not light the world on fire as a rookie because of a lower target share. He'll compete for targets and snaps with DJ Moore, Keenan Allen, Cole Kmet, and Gerald Everett. That could limit his upside as a rookie, but it should do wonders for his development. This is a player who takes significant pride in his technique and doing the little things right. I have to imagine that being on the practice field with a technician like Allen will serve him very well.

"Odunze projects as a three-level threat who can win as an X receiver in the NFL. His ability to dominate single coverage at the line of scrimmage and downfield at the catch point is where he provides the most value. While he was the WR1 in one of college football's most prolific offenses, Odunze may be better suited as a 1b in the NFL. There's no doubt that he's extremely skilled in the technical aspects of the position. However, I don't know if he possesses any game-changing physical traits to ever be considered an elite receiver. His well-roundedness is his appeal. I believe he'll fall somewhere in that next tier of "very good," which is perfectly fine."

- Building the Board Scout Tom Kavanaugh

Round 3, Pick 75 - OT Kiran Amegadjie

Letter Grade: C-

Age: 22.23 Years Old

Height / Weight: 6'5" / 323 lbs

Anticipated Role: Backup Swing OT or OG with developmental upside

NFL Comparison: Le'Raven Clark

Next 5 Players Drafted: Jonah Ellis (EDGE), Delmar Glaze (OT), Calen Bullock (S), Matt Goncalves (OT), Jermaine Burton (WR)

Kiran Amegadjie College Stats

Curveball! With players like Christian Haynes, Austin Booker, and DeWayne Carter on the board, Ryan Poles elected to bet on the upside of Yale offensive tackle Kiran Amegadjie (Kuh-ron Ah-MEH-Gah-G). Kiran is a local kid who played high school football at Hinsdale Central before attending Yale.

By the end of high school, he ranked as the 284th offensive tackle in his recruiting class. He fell under the radar as a recruit because he was a late bloomer and didn't attend any football camps until his senior year of high school. Additionally, he's on track to graduate from Yale with his degree in Political Science in Summer 2024.

He possesses good athleticism, but it's hard to gauge against Ivy League competition. His primary selling point is his outrageous length, with 36.125" long arms. On the field, Kiran plays with a good, physical demeanor and plenty of want-to, but he was blocking undersized rushers at a lower level of competition. Because of that, it's difficult to take much away from his tape besides being a good athlete with great length and experience at tackle and guard.

He's a ball of clay that can be molded with the upside of a Pro Bowl football player. However, Amegadjie is a very raw football player and has a lot to learn. I like the pick as a developmental player who can potentially take over for Braxton Jones as soon as next year without the pressure of having to be a starter next year. There's a lot of reason to believe that NFL-caliber coaching can help him develop quickly.

"Kiran was the best offensive tackle on the board by a decent margin for developmental purposes. I would have preferred Christian Haynes (OG) at 75, but I can't complain too much about getting your plan for the future at left tackle. Especially since he'll be on a third-round contract. I prefer him to Kingsley Suamataia, Garrett Greenfield, and Frank Crum, three other developmental upside offensive tackles in this class. While some more pro-ready guys like Christian Jones and Dominick Puni were available, I don't think they offer the same upside as Amegadjie."

- Building the Board scout Quinten Krzysko

Round 4, Pick 122 - P Tory Taylor

Letter Grade: D+

Age: 26 Years Old

Height / Weight: 6'4" / 223 lbs

Anticipated Role: Starting Punter

Comp: N/A

Next 5 Players Drafted: Cade Stover (TE), Malik Mustapha (S), Bucky Irving (RB), Giovanni Manu (OT), Will Shipley (RB)

Tory Taylor College Stats

I hate the value of drafting a punter here, but I love the player. I'm genuinely excited to see Tory Taylor drop bombs on the lakefront. Players like Cade Stover, Malik Mustapha, or Austin Booker would have been better value. I also would've loved any of the centers who went off the board after this pick.

No use in crying about the value, though. What's done is done. Everyone should be pumped to bask in the glory of "The Punter from Down Under!" The Australian punter was truly a weapon for the Iowa Hawkeyes. If you aren't familiar with Hawkeye football, their play style requires heavy ball control and puts an extreme emphasis on field position.

Over the last four years, 46% of Taylor's punts have landed inside the 20-yard line, while only 10.8% went into the endzone for touchbacks. This player has freaky control in landing the football exactly where he wants it to be. In 2023, he won the Ray Guy Award, awarded to the nation's most outstanding punter. Additionally, he was named a unanimous All-American.

Field position is something that Matt Eberflus cares about, as it gives his defense more opportunities to take the football away. It'll also help the rookie quarterback by giving him more favorable positions throughout the season. I won't sit here and try to sell you on the value of picking a punter at pick No. 122. But I will try to get you excited about watching "The Crocodile Punter" drop bombs inside the 20.

Round 5, Pick 144 - EDGE Austin Booker

Letter Grade: A-

Age: 21.36 Years Old

Height / Weight: 6'5" / 240 lbs

Anticipated Role: Rotational Wide Alignment EDGE on Pass Downs

Comp: Randy Gregory

Next 5 Players Drafted: Kris Abrams-Draine (CB), Jarvis Brownlee Jr. (CB), Audric Estime (RB), Tommy Eichenberg (LB), Josh Newton (CB)

Austin Booker College Stats

They FINALLY got him. Since the Bears went on the clock at pick No. 75, we were itching for this pick to happen. I'm not naive enough to think there's no good reason for Austin Booker's fall from a top-100 prospect to barely making it into the top 150. There has to be a hidden reason he fell, and we need to be aware of that. But this is an exciting addition this late in the draft.

Coming out of high school, Booker was a consensus three-star prospect and the ninth-highest-rated player in Indiana. He accepted a scholarship at the University of Minnesota and redshirted his first year. He only played 22 snaps in his second season but did earn Big 10 All-Academic honors. 

Before the 2023 season, Booker elected to transfer to Kansas. He exploded onto the scene at Kansas, earning 2023 Big 12 Newcomer of the Year and first-team All-Big 12 honors. He was also a finalist for Big 12 Defensive Lineman of the Year. Despite only having one year of playing time under his belt, Booker elected to enter the  2024 NFL Draft.

"With only one year of college experience, Booker is perhaps the most high-risk, high-reward prospect in the 2024 NFL Draft. He has tantalizing athleticism, length, and sneaky power in his slight frame. Booker is a twitchy pass rusher who wins primarily with athleticism. He can threaten the edge with his speed, use his long arms to get into the chest plate of the offensive tackle and utilize his flexibility to bend around the edge. He needs to do everything more consistently, but the flashes are enticing enough to warrant a high Day 2 pick."

- Building the Board Scout Steve Letizia