Daniel Jeremiah 2024 Mock Draft continues trend of Caleb Williams to Bears

The intrigue surrounding what the Chicago Bears will do with the first pick in the 2024 NFL Draft may slowly begin to fade. At least, it’ll fade if mock drafts continue the way they’re trending.

Most (if not all) 2024 mock drafts have the Bears selecting Caleb Williams with the first pick, and the first 2024 mock draft from NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah continued that narrative.

“We’ve seen Justin Fields continue to improve, but I still believe GM Ryan Poles’ decision at No. 1 overall will be an easy one,” Jeremiah wrote. “The Bears select Williams, the most talented quarterback in the class.”

I agree wholeheartedly with Jeremiah.

I don’t think this will be much of a decision for Poles. Williams is the quarterback who, at the start of the 2023 NFL season, was thought teams would tank for the right to pick him. Those teams didn’t include the Chicago Bears, who assumed they had their franchise quarterback in Fields, but here we are. The Bears have the pick. And Fields didn’t have the year required to pass on a player of Williams’ caliber.

I know there are a lot of Fields supporters in the Bears fan base. I’m one of them. But I can’t let my affection for Fields blind me from seeing what’s best for the Bears. And what’s best for the Bears is adding Caleb Williams, whose talent is superior and whose rookie contract will allow Chicago to continue building a legitimate contender.

Caleb Williams is special pic.twitter.com/q1XyrcjGrj

— I (@ilannfl) January 19, 2024

What’s getting overlooked in all the Chicago Bears quarterback conversation is the fact they have two first-round picks. And they’re both in the top ten. I repeat: the Bears have two top-10 picks.

Let’s not get so caught up in the No. 1 pick conversation that we forget about how important the player Poles selects at No. 9 will be to the future of this team.

Unfortunately, in Jeremiah’s mock draft, he swings and misses. He has the Bears selecting Florida State edge rusher Jared Verse.

“The Bears pair Caleb Williams with Verse, who’s the best power rusher in the draft,” Jeremiah wrote. “He’ll be a great complement to Montez Sweat.”

Verse’s film underwhelmed me. I expected to see a quick-twitch, bendy edge rusher worthy of this selection. Instead, I saw a guy who was a bit rigid and still unrefined despite his status as a 23-year-old prospect. He’ll turn 24 during his rookie season.

Instead, Jeremiah should’ve sent the Bears Laiatu Latu, the supremely talented UCLA pass rusher who stuffed the stat sheet with 23.5 sacks over the last two seasons.

UCLA’s Laiatu Latu reminds me of a young Robert Quinn. If his medicals check out, he’ll rank high on #DaBears wish list.

— Bryan Perez (@BryanPerezNFL) January 5, 2024

Latu is an advanced edge defender who blends a fantastic first step with high-end hand play. He’s a plug-and-play starter who can challenge for 10 sacks as soon as his rookie season, but he comes with risk.

Latu, whose college career began at Washington, suffered a neck injury in 2020 that forced him to “retire.” However, he transferred to UCLA for the 2022 season and received clearance from their team of doctors. What we don’t know is whether NFL teams will clear him or if they’ll tag him with the dreaded medical reject label.

He’ll rank above Verse on the Chicago Bears’ draft board if he gets the all-clear.

I’ll get an up-close look at Latu at the 2024 Senior Bowl and will provide our premium Bears Talkers with all the news and notes from the premier all-star event of NFL Draft season. If you haven’t leveled up to a premium account (it’s super cheap!), please consider doing so below.

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