Nobody would’ve expected how the Chicago Bears handled their visit with Caleb Williams. Most of it was the typical stuff. They gave him a physical, ran him through various drills testing his arm, and put him on the whiteboard to see how good his ability to absorb and retain inform was. Things got interesting when the team hosted him for dinner at a local restaurant. The usual big names were there with him, such as GM Ryan Poles, head coach Matt Eberflus, and team president Kevin Warren, among others. The unexpected part was the dinner, which also featured some players from the current Bears roster, including wide receiver D.J. Moore and cornerback Tyrique Stevenson.
Yet, somehow, that isn’t the end of it. Apparently, the Bears took it a step further. According to Albert Breer of the MMQB, two other 2024 draft prospects were at that dinner. One was Alabama edge rusher Dallas Turner, the best pass rusher in the class according to many experts. He could be in play for Chicago with their #9. The other was perhaps the most intriguing: Oklahoma offensive tackle Tyler Guyton. While not as polished or experienced as other big names in this draft, many believe the big blocker has the size, length, and athleticism to be one of the best pass protectors to emerge from this group.
The Bears may envision Guyton blocking for Caleb Williams.
He only had 14 starts in his career for the Sooners, but he made the most of them. Despite obvious technical flaws, he was tremendous for the most part when pass-protecting and flashed lots of promise in the run game. He moves shockingly well for someone who is 6’8 and 322 lbs. If he can improve his spatial awareness and mastery of angles, he can become a terrifying presence on the ground. While he spent his time at right tackle in college, it is evident his future lay at left tackle in the NFL.
There is one problem, though. Most projections have Guyton going somewhere between the late 1st and early 2nd rounds. Chicago has no picks in that range. So either they like the Sooners tackle way better than other teams, or they view him as a potential option if they choose to trade down. It is hard to understand their interest. Guyton is a more talented version of Braxton Jones, who also came to the NFL with technical flaws but became a solid starter once they were ironed out. A more talented version of Jones doesn’t sound bad at all.
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Everything will come down to who is available at #9 when the Bears are back on the clock. It sounds like Caleb Williams’ success remains their top priority.
