ESPN 2024 Mock Draft sends Bears exciting QB-WR combo in 1st round

Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields is slowly changing the narrative around the team’s potential plans for the 2024 NFL Draft, even as GM Ryan Poles stares down the barrel of having the first overall pick … again.

The Carolina Panthers are atrocious, and depending on the analytics outlet you trust most, the Bears have a better than 90% chance of ending the year with the No. 1 pick. And that means quarterbacks Caleb Williams (USC) and Drake Maye (UNC) will be theirs for the picking.

But will Poles dip his toes into the unpredictable rookie quarterback waters just as the roster he’s building is showing signs of life?

It all depends on Fields. The third-year passer controls his destiny over the next four games. At least, we think he does. There’s a sentiment around the league that the Bears are moving on from Fields, no matter how well he plays. The better he performs over the next month, the more they’ll get in return for him in a trade.

I’m not in that school of thought, but it exists.

Just check out the latest 2024 NFL mock draft from ESPN. They have the Bears hanging the franchise’s hopes on Caleb Williams with the first pick.

“Williams is a big play waiting to happen, with 41 total touchdowns in 2023,” ESPN’s Matt Miller wrote. “His game combines great arm strength, mobility, poise and field vision to make him the best overall prospect in the class and a quarterback the Bears simply cannot afford to pass on for another year of Fields. Restarting the clock at the position — both in terms of salary and development timeline — now is crucial with Fields” fifth-year option decision on deck.”

Williams” natural ability could indeed be too tempting to pass up. He’s a better natural passer than FIelds (it doesn’t matter how big of a Fields fan you are, you have to be honest about that), and even if some of his flaws are the same … he can hold the ball a tick or two too long … the benefits of restarting the rookie quarterback contract clock are very real.

An enormously talented rookie quarterback in Year 1 of his contract on a team that’s turning the corner and becoming relevant again is the secret sauce to building a champion. The Chicago Bears will be in the unique and rare position to live that reality this year.

I’m a Justin Fields guy. I loved when the Bears picked him in the first round of the 2021 NFL draft, and I still believe he can be one of the four or five most dangerous quarterbacks in the NFL. But Caleb Williams can be that guy, too. And the Bears can build a stronger roster with Williams behind center than with Fields, who will command at least $45 million per year on his next contract, which will become a point of contention next year this time.

This debate will rage on for the next four weeks, as will the reshuffling of the 2024 NFL Draft first-round order, including where the Bears will pick with their own first-rounder.

In ESPN’s mock draft, Chicago picks eighth. However, after Week 14’s complete results, including the New York Giants’ upset win over the Green Bay Packers Monday night, the Bears’ pick is fifth.

Regardless of whether it’s No. 5 or No. 8, the player Miller sends to the Bears is … exciting. It’s LSU wide receiver Malik Nabers.

“The Bears have receiver DJ Moore and tight end Cole Kmet, but with Darnell Mooney struggling to develop into a consistent threat and set to hit free agency, they could stand to add more options — especially if they are taking a rookie quarterback in Williams at No. 1,” Miller wrote. “Nabers is the most explosive after-the-catch receiver in the draft — he averages 6.8 yards after the catch per reception — and I like to compare him to Stefon Diggs. You might wonder about a left tackle here, but I’m a believer in second-year player Braxton Jones, so Chicago would be wise to go receiver at No. 8.”

Look, I know there’s a large contingent of Bears fans clamoring for Marvin Harrison Jr. at No. 1 overall, and I get it. I really do. Harrison is as complete of a wide receiver prospect as we’ve seen in years. But the Bears can’t pass up on a franchise quarterback (if they indeed decide to move on from Fields). And here’s the good news: they can still land an absolute superstar receiver prospect in the first round with a selection like this: Malik Nabers.

Nabers reminds me of DJ Moore. He’s a playmaker. He’s hard to stop after the catch. He stands an estimated 6-foot, 200 pounds (Moore is 5-foot-11, 210 pounds) and plays even bigger than that after the catch.

Nabers had a remarkable 2023 season, catching 86 passes for 1,546 yards and 14 touchdowns.

Here’s the point: even if Marvin Harrison is a better overall prospect than Nabers, and even if he ends up being a perennial 1,400-yard receiver in the NFL, adding Nabers, who can be a 1,250-yard guy every season and Caleb Williams is the no-brainer right call. At least, it is in my opinion.

ESPN gets an “A” for this Chicago Bears mock draft … and that’s coming from a Justin Fields guy.

What say you? Sign up for Bears Talk Premium (it’s really cheap, it helps us out, and you can have your voice heard) and share your thoughts. Post your grades for ESPN’s mock draft or, better yet, write your own.

A Bears Talk Premium subscription unlocks the comments section (see below), and you get an ad-free experience. You’ll also access our premium NFL draft content this offseason.