The Chicago Bears have concluded their 2024 NFL draft. All told, they finished with five total picks. GM Ryan Poles calls it an "impact" draft for the team. There seems to be a lot of excitement about it. At first glance, it's hard to understand, given so few members of the group. However, upon closer inspection, you start to understand. There is a ton of talent among those five young men. You could make a case the Bears got the first or second-best player at his position in three out of those four picks.
Often, a good way to gauge how strong a class potentially is is to look at its pro comparisons. I decided to look into official outlets like ESPN, NFL.com, and Bleacher Report for the most popular comp for every Bears pick. Per usual, the guys at the top get eye-opening names attached to them. Where it gets crazy is even the players Chicago picked later were paired with current or former stars.
Caleb Williams: Aaron Rodgers
"Williams is an elite prospect with upper-level arm strength, running ability, field vision and poise."
Everything from the arm to the accuracy, mobility, and somewhat unique personality fits this comparison. It also doesn't hurt that Rodgers was Williams' favorite quarterback growing up. If this proves accurate, it would be a remarkable bit of serendipity for Bears fans after what that man did to them for over a decade.
Rome Odunze: Larry Fitzgerald
"A team captain with good size and elite ball skills, Odunze consistently dominated his competition...He shines in all aspects of ball skills, including positioning, body control, hand strength, timing and mid-air adjustments."
Fitzgerald was known best for his outstanding character, good size, and vice-grip hands. Every time the ball went his way, it was getting caught. That is Odunze in a nutshell. This overshadows he also happens to have 4.41 speed, which was a common afterthought with Fitzgerald too. He's fast.
Kiran Amegadjie: Greg Little
"Overall, Amegadjie is a proportionately built, long and easy mover on film. He has an NFL-starter look, but he shows mere glimmers of physical dominance due to his unrefined footwork, leverage and finishing skills."
Little possessed a boatload of talent coming out of Ole Miss: size, length, power, and quickness. Teams were concerned about his lack of polish, though. It's why he fell to the 2nd round. He has had a forgettable career between Carolina and Miami due to injuries and inconsistency. Amegadjie has the same ceiling. Can he avoid the same fate?
Tory Taylor: Shane Lechler
"Not only was Taylor easily the best punter in college football last season -- he was a unanimous All-American -- but he was also one of the best punters in NCAA history. During the 2023 season, Taylor totaled 4,479 punting yards, which broke an NCAA single-season record that had stood for 85 years."
Lechler was the best punter of the 2000s. He reached seven Pro Bowls and was a six-time All-Pro, averaging 47.6 yards per punt for his career. This Hall of Fame legacy remains criminally overlooked. Taylor has the same size and the same booming leg.
Austin Booker: Maxx Crosby
"The diversity of his rush approach is unheard of for a player with so little playing time. He can stride and dip at the top of the rush or beat tackles back inside with a Euro step or spin counter. He can stab and long-arm tackles into the pocket or stay separated from them at the point of attack."
People forget Crosby was a 4th round pick himself a few years ago. Like Booker, he had concerns about his thinner frame. Yet his natural instincts for rushing the passer were uncanny. He eventually bulked up and is now a terror. Don't forget Chicago Bears defensive line coach Travis Smith coached him in Las Vegas. Booker has the same feel, is a good athlete, long, and needs a year to add mass.
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