Bears took interesting approach to pre-draft meeting with Caleb Williams

The Chicago Bears have a lot riding on the 2024 NFL Draft. In fact, everything is riding on the first overall pick, which is expected to be USC quarterback Caleb Williams. The Bears must get it right.

The Bears have done the pre-draft due diligence routine with Williams to ensure they get it right. They met with him at the NFL Combine, had a huge contingent of team officials at his pro day, and dined with him during a private visit.

But that dinner? It was a little unique. Instead of Chicago Bears coaches and personnel executives breaking bread with Caleb Williams, it was the team’s leaderswho shared the meal: Cole Kmet, DJ Moore, TJ Edwards, and others, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

“When Caleb Williams visited Chicago in early April, the Bears did something smart. Rather than have Williams go to dinner with their front office and coaches, they sent him to dinner with team leaders Cole Kmet, DJ Moore, T.J. Edwards and others,” Schefter wrote. “The thinking was, those are some of the team’s most respected players, the players who others listen to, and this group then would be able to tell the other players what they were getting in Williams, who is likely to be the No. 1 overall pick.”

MORE: Here’s why Caleb Williams was surprised when the Bears traded Justin Fields

It was a smart play by the Bears, who are fresh off trading Justin Fields to the Pittsburgh Steelers earlier in the offseason. Fields was a beloved member of the locker room, and it’s possible (if not likely) that veterans will view Williams as the reason Fields is gone. And, in a way, it’s true. If the Chicago Bears didn’t have the first overall pick in a year with a prospect like Caleb Williams available, Fields would still be the starting quarterback. But that’s not how things worked out, and the Bears are the incredibly fortunate beneficiary as a result.

Getting the team’s veterans to build an early relationship with Williams will help the former Heisman Trophy winner transition to the NFL and, most importantly, with his new teammates.

The Bears will make it official when they select Caleb Williams first overall on Thursday, April 25, at 8 pm ET.