With the first pick in the NFL Draft, the Chicago Bears select…
The NFL Draft buzz is already gaining steam. With the college regular season having come to an end last week, many of the top players in the country are forgoing their college team’s bowl game and preparing themselves for the NFL Draft. None of those players preparing for this year’s draft come with more notoriety, talent, or hardware than USC quarterback Caleb Williams.
Going into week 15 of the NFL season, the Chicago Bears currently hold the first overall pick in the NFL Draft by way of the Carolina Panthers and a 2022 trade that sent wide receiver DJ Moore to Chicago in exchange for current Panthers QB, and number one overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, Bryce Young.
So, since the Bears have the first pick in the draft, one would think they have a ton of options, but they really don’t. It boils down to a simple question for Bears GM Ryan Poles and Bears Head Coach Matt Eberflus: “Do we trust in Justin Fields… or not?”
It’s always difficult to compare an incoming rookie to a veteran quarterback. The game is different, the talent surrounding the players is different, and frankly, the pressure is different. So, let’s take a look at these two quarterbacks from a purely college quarterback perspective, since that’s all we accurately have to compare at this point. Let’s start first with Fields.
Justin Fields – Ohio State – Class of 2020
To look at Fields college career fairly, we will have to look at his two years at Ohio State because his final year in Columbus was cut short due to Covid. We will return the favor and look at the final two USC years for Caleb Williams as well.
Fields final two years he had 396 completions for an average completion percentage of 68.7%. He threw for a combined 5373 yards and 63 touchdowns. During his Ohio State career, Fields only threw 9 interceptions. His combined passer rating average during his final two years was 179.1. For a comparison, 2022 first overall pick QB Bryce Young has a passer rating of 165.0 following his Alabama career. Fields also had high production with his feet in college. He ran for 867 yards and 15 touchdowns while in Columbus.
Fields was an electric quarterback in college and he led the Buckeyes to 2 Big Ten titles, 2 college football playoff appearances, and 1 college football national championship appearance. Fields was also selected as the 2021 Sugar Bowl MVP. Fields finished 3rd in the Heisman voting in 2019 and 7th in 2020. Following his 2020 season, Fields was selected with the 11th overall pick in the NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears. Fields was selected behind Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson, and Trey Lance.
Caleb Williams – USC – Class of 2023
Let’s also look at Caleb’s final two collegiate years, both of which took place at Southern Cal. Caleb stood by his head coach, and former Oklahoma Sooners HC Lincoln Riley, following his fantastic freshman year in Norman where he put the college football world on notice.
During his time at SC, Caleb completed 599 passes for an average completion percentage of 67.5%. He threw for 8172 yards and 72 touchdowns. During his time as a Trojan he threw 5 interceptions both years for a total of 10. His combined passer rating average in college was 169.2. Caleb was also highly productive with his feet, rushing for 524 yards and 21 touchdowns.
Caleb’s SC career has been one of the most underwhelming for a player of his caliber when considering post-season success. Caleb won the Heisman in 2022, along with a Maxwell Award and a Walter Camp Award, and finished outside the top-10 in Heisman voting in 2023. In one of the most shocking stats, Caleb has not won a bowl game at USC or a PAC-12 title.
What would I do if I was picking for the Bears…?
I’d stick with Justin Fields. I don’t see a major separation for Caleb Williams above Fields heading into the NFL Draft. in fact, I don’t see a separation at all. I don’t think Caleb will have better combine numbers than Fields, he doesn’t have the collegiate post season success, and he comes with some drama, which Fields has never exhibited. Fields has been a consummate professional in Chicago, even after having been one of the most pressured quarterbacks during his time in the NFL.
The Bears should stick with Fields and draft the man some help, Maybe fellow Buckeye wideout Marvin Harrison Jr. Or Penn State left tackle Olumylwa Fashanu. Another possibility would be trading the pick to the Cardinals for another Buckeye alum, RT Paris Johnson and then eventually drafting Harrison Jr. or Fashanu. Either way, I see Fields as the answer for the Bears as long as they can get that man some help in this years NFL Draft.