The worst kept secret in the NFL finally came to fruition Thursday as the Chicago Bears selected highly-touted USC quarterback Caleb Williams with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
The Bears and their long-suffering fans hope the 22-year-old phenom will finally bring them much-needed stability at the quarterback position, which has been in flux since the days of Jim McMahon in the 1980s.
To make way for Williams, Chicago traded away quarterback Justin Fields last month to the Pittsburgh Steelers after the No. 11 pick in the 2021 draft failed to meet the lofty expectations that were set for him. The Bears also hold the No. 9 pick as they seek to transform their roster.
The draft, which is being held in Detroit, is one of the deepest in years at the quarterback, offensive tackle and wide receiver positions, in part due to the pandemic, which spurred many players to extend their college careers. As many as five quarterbacks could be taken off the board Thursday, along with up to nine offensive tackles.
Rounds two and three of the draft will be held Friday, and rounds four through seven on Saturday.
NFL Draft order and picks for the first round
- No. 1: Chicago Bears — QB Caleb Williams, USC
- No. 2: Washington Commanders — QB Jayden Daniels, LSU
- No. 3: New England Patriots
- No. 4: Arizona Cardinals
- No. 5: Los Angeles Chargers
- No. 6: New York Giants
- No. 7: Tennessee Titans
- No. 8: Atlanta Falcons
- No. 9: Chicago Bears
- No. 10: New York Jets
- No. 11: Minnesota Vikings
- No. 12: Denver Broncos
- No. 13: Las Vegas Raiders
- No. 14: New Orleans Saints
- No. 15: Indianapolis Colts
- No. 16: Seattle Seahawks
- No. 17: Jacksonville Jaguars
- No. 18: Cincinnati Bengals
- No. 19: Los Angeles Rams
- No. 20: Pittsburgh Steelers
- No. 21: Miami Dolphins
- No. 22: Philadelphia Eagles
- No. 23: Minnesota Vikings
- No. 24: Dallas Cowboys
- No. 25: Green Bay Packers
- No. 26: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- No. 27: Arizona Cardinals
- No. 28: Buffalo Bills
- No. 29: Detroit Lions
- No. 30: Baltimore Ravens
- No. 31: San Francisco 49ers
- No. 32: Kansas City Chiefs
Faris Tanyos is a news editor for CBSNews.com, where he writes and edits stories and tracks breaking news. He previously worked as a digital news producer at several local news stations up and down the West Coast.
The post 2024 NFL Draft: Day 1 recap of first-round picks appeared first on CBS News.
