According to reports, teams had “very constructive” discussions with Caleb Williams.
During the NFL Combine, teams had their initial opportunities to engage with draft prospects. Despite lingering concerns about his character, USC’s Caleb Williams reportedly impressed during team meetings.
According to a recent report, Ian Rapoport mentioned that teams had highly favorable interactions with Williams. Rapoport noted, “I know the teams had really positive meetings with him. His teammates really like him. He takes football very seriously, he takes losses very hard. He cares about it a lot, which I don’t think is a negative.” Overall, the consensus from the meetings was overwhelmingly positive.
The Bears met with Williams on Wednesday at 10:40 p.m., as per a report from Albert Breer. During the meeting, they evaluated his skills while also discussing football plays from previous conversations.
However, there are still procedural steps before the Bears can finalize their evaluation of him. Williams chose not to undergo medical examinations at the combine, a decision considered unusual for NFL prospects. By declining these examinations, Williams sought to avoid redundancy in meeting with each team’s doctors to answer the same questions. He explained to the media that only one team can ultimately draft him and plans to complete medicals for teams in contention to select him, including the Bears.
Following the combine, the Bears attempted to arrange a top-30 meeting with Williams, potentially for various reasons. They will host him at Halas Hall after attending his USC pro day on March 20. This will provide the Bears with the missing piece of their evaluation puzzle, allowing them to review his medicals and engage in more extended discussions.
Presently, the prevailing sentiment across the league suggests that Williams will likely join the Chicago Bears, with Rapoport stating, “Most people I’ve talked to believe he is the No. 1 [pick] and most people believe the Bears are going to take him No. 1.”