With the Carolina Panthers being terrible this season, the likelihood of the Chicago Bears going first in the 2024 NFL is high.
As it stands, the Bears will get the chance to pick in a stacked 2024 class. The only way the No. 1 draft selection will not land on their lap is if the Panthers win two more and the Arizona Cardinals, the second-worst team this season, lose another.
It will be a tough decision for coach Matt Eberflus come draft night.
They are not doing that bad right now, meaning they do not need to start over. In drafting players, as in any sport, the problem is whether you go for the specific piece you need or the best talent.
The coach also has to contemplate whether the current pool of players is up to the task of getting to another level.
The chances of the Bears getting the No. 1 pick is high. Fans and analysts can now move on to dissecting who they should pick.
Caleb Williams or Marvin Harrison Jr.?
First, the profile of these two players.
Caleb Williams is the University of Southern California Trojans quarterback who won the 2022 Heisman Trophy. The same year, he also won the Maxwell Award, Walter Camp Award, AP College Football Player of the Year, Sporting News College Football Player of the Year, and the Unanimous All-American.
He has not announced whether he will offer his name to NFL teams, but people close to the 22-year-old believe he will forego his final year with USC.
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However, his father has a different idea. The older Williams wants his son to return to school if he is drafted by a team unsuitable for his talent.
Right now, Caleb Williams will sit out the Holiday Bowl against Louisville, prompting people to assume that is one of his first steps in preparing for the 2024 draft. He also expressed disappointment over USC's mediocre season.
He may be absent in their final game of the year, but what he built in his three years with the university should be enough to make NFL teams salivate.
His 2023 stats are still above anyone joining the draft. This year, he finished second in passing yards with 3,633 and tied for third in passing touchdowns with 30. He has a 68.8 percent pass completion and only allowed five interceptions.
Marvin Harrison Jr's trophy cabinet is just as packed. The 21-year-old wide receiver won the Big Ten's Richter-Howard Receiver of the Year for two straight years and the Graham-George Offensive Player of the Year this season.
He is best known for his excellent route running skills that give quarterbacks more options, superb hands, blocking acumen, speed, and length.
He also performs well in big games, recording 33 receptions for 538 yards and six TDs in five games vs. ranked opponents in 2023.
Who should the Bears select for its first pick?
Caleb Williams is expected to be selected first, no matter who lands the top pick. To be able to get Marvin Harrison Jr., they will need to exchange the draft pick.
Bears' decision relies mainly on how they see their QB1 Justin Fields. Williams is a talent that is hard to ignore. So is Harrison Jr.
As stated above, there is something to build from for the Bears in their current roster. Justin Field is a good quarterback, and the team's quality can be elevated if they get players who will bring more dynamics to their offense.
That is where Harrison Jr. comes in. He can play with any quarterbacks.
Fields, on and off this season mainly due to recurring injuries, is having his career best.
So far, he has put up 1,587 total passing yards and led 12 passing touchdowns. He only has six interceptions, under a 92.3 passer rating, and completed 64.4% of his passes.
Harrison Jr's talent will greatly complement Fields' vision and accuracy.
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