The Chicago Bears selected five players in the 2024 NFL draft. Get to know Caleb Williams, Rome Odunze, Kiran Amegadjie, Tory Taylor and Austin Booker.
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‘He’s what you want as the face of your franchise.’ Get to know Caleb Williams.
Bears tight end Cole Kmet received a glimpse of Caleb Williams’ competitiveness during a recent trip to Topgolf.
Kmet, Williams and backup quarterback Brett Rypien were among a group that was at the facility until 1 a.m. The outing extended into the early morning hours because Williams was intent on catching Rypien in the standings.
“I was competing to catch up to Brett, then the game turned off, I got cold and after that I tried to reset it,” Williams said. “And I ended up coming in third place instead of second or first, which I was shooting for first.”
USC passing game coordinator Dennis Simmons knows a little bit about that competitiveness — in big moments and small ones — after spending three seasons with Williams, first as the passing game coordinator at Oklahoma and then at USC.
He spoke recently with the Tribune about Williams’ passion, the misconceptions that surrounded him in the predraft process and why he believes Williams is a quarterback whom teammates will want to play for. Read more here.
‘He thrives on those moments.’ Get to know Rome Odunze.
For 52 minutes after making quarterback Caleb Williams the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft, Bears general manager Ryan Poles waited.
He waited with eagerness. He waited with anxiety. He waited for the opportunity to make his grandest draft dream come true. Specifically, Poles waited for Rome Odunze, the talented, intelligent and enthusiastic wide receiver from Washington.
Poles had a vision of pairing Odunze with Williams as catalysts to the Bears’ championship pursuit. He felt strongly that Odunze was the most complete receiver in the draft and the second-best prospect overall — behind Williams. But Poles had no guarantees Odunze would be on the board when the Bears picked for the second time in the first round at No. 9.
He grew most tense when the New York Giants went on the clock at No. 6 but breathed a huge sigh of relief when they grabbed LSU’s Malik Nabers as their preferred receiver. At 8:13 p.m., Poles’ window of opportunity opened. He picked Odunze and gave Bears fans an opening to imagine what a new-look passing attack might become for years to come.
JaMarcus Shephard understands why Poles and the Bears were so excited to unite with Odunze. Having served as the wide receivers coach and passing game coordinator at Washington for Odunze’s final two college seasons, Shephard is well aware of Odunze’s big-play ability and strive-big mentality.
Shephard, now at Alabama as wide receivers coach and co-offensive coordinator, spoke to the Tribune recently to offer his assessment of Odunze. Read more here.
‘He has the most growth potential out of any of the guys.’ Get to know Kiran Amegadjie.
Bears rookie offensive lineman Kiran Amegadjie called the first couple of weeks settling in with the team he grew up cheering for “surreal.”
The Bears’ third-round draft pick, who is from Hinsdale, said he was brimming with excitement about contributing to “the history and culture of my favorite team.” But the 6-foot-5, 326-pound Amegadjie will have to stay patient about contributing on the field.
The Bears held him out from their offseason program as he recovers from an October surgery on his quad. That injury cut short his 2023 season at Yale, where he was building on a breakout, all-Ivy League 2022 season with the Bulldogs.
Yale coach Tony Reno said he knows Amegadjie is itching to get reps on the field – and he believes in what Amegadjie can do once he does. Reno has watched Amegadjie’s rise from Hinsdale Central to the NFL, and he spoke with the Tribune about how Amegadjie developed and what he will bring to the Bears when he gets back on the field. Read more here.
‘He totally revamped the position.’ Get to know Tory Taylor.
Bears coach Matt Eberflus found himself drawn into the show his rookie was performing at a June minicamp practice at Halas Hall.
Fourth-round pick Tory Taylor, the punter who became a fan favorite at Iowa, turned the special teams period into a must-watch event with his ball placement.
“He’s like a trick-shot guy,” Eberflus said. “It’s like, ‘Wow.’ … He had a couple on the 1(-yard line) of course, but the spin he could put on it, really amazing. So it’s fun to watch.”
Iowa special teams coordinator LeVar Woods watched those talents for four years after recruiting Taylor out of Australia, and he has many stories about the development of a player Bears general manager Ryan Poles called one of the best punters he ever has seen.
Woods spoke with the Tribune about Taylor’s transition to American football, some of his most impressive feats and the fanfare he created in Iowa City. Read more here.
‘He’s a skinny guy in a big guy’s body.’ Get to know Austin Booker.
When the Bears drafted Kansas defensive lineman Austin Booker in the fifth round in April, he didn’t shy away from the word “raw.”
The 21-year-old edge rusher played in just six games over his first two seasons at Minnesota before transferring to Kansas for the 2023 season. After totaling 56 tackles, 12 tackles for a loss, eight sacks and two forced fumbles in 12 games last year, he entered the NFL draft having played just 505 college snaps, according to The Athletic’s Dane Brugler.
Booker said that inexperience simply means he has a lot of room to get stronger and faster as he grows at the NFL level.
Kansas defensive ends coach Taiwo Onatolu believes in that upside.
As Booker settled in with the Bears at organized team activities in May, Onatolu took some time to talk with the Tribune about Booker’s growth in his lone season with the Jayhawks and what he will bring to the Bears. Read more here.