The Chicago Bears will almost certainly be taking quarterback Caleb Williams with the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft on Thursday night, and he has already drawn a comparison to C.J. Stroud.
During a recent appearance on ESPN First Take, former NFL safety and current ESPN analyst Ryan Clark said that he believes Williams can duplicate what Stroud did in 2023.
This is certainly asking a lot from Williams.
Stroud put together one of the best rookie campaigns ever for a signal-caller, throwing for 4,108 yards, 23 touchdowns and five interceptions while completing 63.9 percent of his passes and posting a passer rating of 100.8.
What’s more, he took a Houston Texans team that was expected to be a bottom dweller and led it to 10 wins and a playoff appearance. He even guided the Texans to a Wild Card Round win over the Cleveland Browns.
Is Williams capable of doing that?
Clark thinks that Williams may very well be the most talented quarterback to enter the league over the last decade, so if that ends up being the case, it’s possible.
Williams is going to be entering a pretty fine situation in Chicago, as the Bears added Keenan Allen this offseason, giving them a rather lethal receiving duo of Allen and DJ Moore. They also signed running back D’Andre Swift, and let’s not forget they have Cole Kmet at tight end.
But still, asking Williams to replicate Stroud’s production is a very high bar to set.
The Bears also play in the ultra-competitive NFC North, a division that houses the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers. The Minnesota Vikings are not exactly pushovers, either.
Chicago won seven games in 2023, so the general expectation is that Williams will add some wins, but it’s going to be a tough road for the incoming rookie.
We’ll see if Caleb Williams can ultimately be the next C.J. Stroud in 2024.
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