The Chicago Bears? decision on what to do with the No. 1 overall pick when the 2024 draft starts on April 25 appears all but turned in to the commissioner for announcement at the podium. Caleb Williams remains the unabashed favorite.
Their decision about what to do with the No. 9 overall pick is far less certain.
If Williams has any say, it might be LSU?s Malik Nabers. Nabers showed well at LSU?s pro day on March 27, running an official 40 time of 4.35 seconds and a 42-inch vertical.? The performance was so stellar that it drew Williams? attention. The soon-to-be rookie shared a clip of the workout to his timeline on X.
Caleb Williams Shares Clip of Malik Nabers at Pro Day
Malik Nabers Could Be an Option for Bears With No. 9 Pick
The Bears were in Baton Rouge for the Tigers pro day.
General Manager Ryan Poles, Head Coach Matt Eberflus, and Quarterbacks Coach Kerry Joseph all attended LSU?s pro day, per Reese?s Senior Bowl Executive Director Jim Nagy.
Joseph?s presence is notable, given that LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels ? the reigning Heisman winner ? has support in some pockets as the top quarterback prospect in this draft class. Make no mistake, though, the Bears appear locked in on Williams.
Caleb Williams Already Impacting Bears Decisions
No, sharing a video does not equal an endorsement. Anyone worth their salt on the popular social media platform will tell you that.
So Williams sharing the post in and of itself is not necessarily noteworthy.
However, the additional context of the Bears holding that second first-round pick, their need for another wide receiver even with DJ Moore and Keenan Allen, and the fact that Williams has not shared many other clips or info from pro days adds to the intrigue.
Williams has shared two other pro day posts.
One was the RAS score graphic for Rhode Island safety Jordan Colbert, claiming him to be a ?lottery ticket?.
The other clip was of Oklahoma wide receiver Drake Stoops, Williams? teammate at Oklahoma for one season in 2021. The clip Williams shared was of Stoops ? a sixth-year Sooner ? expressing confidence in finding a landing spot in the NFL.
Perhaps that will be with the Bears on the undrafted free agent market.
What is clear is that they are doing a lot to provide a sound infrastructure around Williams, which includes beefing up their coaching staff and trading for wide receiver Keenan Allen.
Bears Have Ample Options at No. 9
If the Bears pass on Nabers at No. 9 ? or, as is even more likely, he is already off the board by then, they will still have a number of viable options. They could include Nabers? teammate, Brian Thomas Jr.
Thomas is two inches taller and ran just as fast at the combine as Nabers did at their pro day.
Other options could include Penn State left tackle Olu Fashanu and Flordia State edge rusher Jared Verse.
There could also be the option to trade down should one of the quarterback-needy teams behind them get antsy and want to move up. The Denver Broncos at No. 12 could be a team to watch as they jockey with the Minnesota Vikings for position, presumably to draft J.J. McCarthy.
