Seven games are left in the regular season, but Chicago Bears fans are already having fierce debates about what GM Ryan Poles will do in the 2024 draft. The running belief is that if the Bears end up with the #1 overall pick, it’s a foregone conclusion they will take a quarterback. The uncertainty is which quarterback that would be. There are two heavy favorites for that coveted spot. One is USC’s Caleb Williams and the other is North Carolina’s Drake Maye. Both have many merits, but it comes down to who Poles wants more.
Many things go into drafting a quarterback. Everything from his accuracy to his arm strength, mobility, intelligence, and mental processing speed are measured. Countless interviews are also done to gauge them as a person, from their leadership to their off-the-field activities. However, we already have an idea of how Poles will approach this. He proved through two off-seasons that one criterion holds sway above all others.
If the comparison is close, he will take the superior physical specimen. Poles loves big athletes. Darnell Wright, Gervon Dexter, Tyrique Stevenson, and Zacch Pickens all reflected that. If he holds to that philosophy, and there’s no reason to think he will deviate, then Maye will be the Bears’ pick next April.
Ryan Poles will gravitate to Maye for obvious reasons.
Characters questions aside, the Tarheels standout is a physical specimen. He’s 6’4, 230 lbs, has arm strength said to be in Justin Herbert territory, and is said to have around 4.6 speed. Williams is 6’1, so there is a height disadvantage right from the start, which would explain why he often struggles to operate on time from the pocket. His mobility isn’t that much better than Maye’s, and his arm, while strong, is a notch below in terms of velocity. There are instances of the smaller quarterback outperforming the prototype in draft history. Not many, though.
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Cleveland went with Baker Mayfield in 2018 despite Josh Allen being bigger, more athletic, and boasting a stronger arm. Indianapolis went with Andrew Luck over Robert Griffin III. History says the wiser decision is to go with the prospect that has the necessary build to survive at the NFL level. Maye has it. Williams doesn’t. So unless Ryan Poles sees something during interviews that convinces him the kid doesn’t have the mental fortitude to be a franchise guy, he is the strongest bet to become the Bears’ next quarterback.
