As a lead-up to the 2024 NFL draft, we've broken down the current depth chart of every NFL team and identified the biggest draft and team needs for the Chicago Bears.
You can find additional team-by-team draft needs articles and other draft content on our 2024 NFL Draft Hub.
Who did the Chicago Bears select in the 2024 NFL Draft?
The Chicago Bears selected Caleb Williams (QB, USC) with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
The Bears also drafted:
- Rome Odunze (WR, Washington)
- Kiran Amegadjie (OT, Yale)
- Tory Taylor (P, Iowa)
- Austin Booker (EDGE, Kansas)
Chicago Bears Needs: Top Positions of Need in 2024
- Quarterback
- EDGE
- Defensive Line
What Picks Do the Chicago Bears Have in 2024?
The Chicago Bears have 4 picks in the 2024 NFL Draft, including:
- Round 1 (1)
- Round 1 (9)
- Round 3 (75)
- Round 4 (122)
Pre Order the Best Analytical 2024 Football Preview
Don't miss out on Warren Sharp's 500+ page preview of the 2024 NFL season.
The preview is unlike anything you have ever seen, featuring stunning visualizations built with the reader in mind.
This preview shares insights into players, coaches, teams, and philosophies with one goal in mind: to prepare you for the 2024 NFL season by delivering the smartest information in the fastest, most direct way possible.
Pre order the 2024 Football Preview now!
Chicago Bears Draft Capital Stats
Our Sharp Draft Value Rank is a valuation of draft capital based on a combination of average performance delivered and average dollars earned on second contracts.
This is based on two public models: performance delivered based on draft slot (the AV model created by Chase Stuart) and contractual earnings in non-rookie deals based upon draft slot (the OTC model created by Brad Spielberger and Jason Fitzgerald).
- Bears Sharp Draft Value Rank: 3 of 32 teams
- Bears AV Model Draft Value Rank: 3 of 32 teams
- Bears OTC Model Draft Value Rank: 7 of 32 teams
Chicago Bears Draft Value vs. Other Teams:
The Bears’ draft value is 31% higher than the league average of all 32 teams. Just two other teams have more draft value entering the 2024 NFL Draft.
Chicago Bears Draft Prediction:
Brendan Donahue has the Bears selecting Caleb Williams (QB, USC) with the 1st overall pick in his most recent 2024 NFL Mock Draft.
Mock draft expert Ryan McCrystal believes the Bears could target a quarterback like Caleb Williams (QB, USC) with their top pick at No. 1 overall in the first round.
Chicago Bears Strength of Schedule, 2024
The Chicago Bears have the third-easiest NFL strength of schedule for the 2024 NFL season.
Chicago Bears Offense: Depth Chart, Analysis & Draft Needs
Rich Hribar breaks down the offensive depth chart by position for the Chicago Bears, identifying areas where the team could improve in the upcoming 2024 NFL Draft.
Quarterback Depth Chart, Bears:
- Tyson Bagent
- Brett Rypien
Holding the first pick in the draft and already trading away Justin Fields, we know that the Bears are selecting a quarterback.
Speculation has always been that the player will be Caleb Williams.
We broke down Williams and this incoming quarterback class last month.
That rookie will be expected to open the year as the starter with only Brett Rypien and Tyson Bagent in the backup roles.
Bagent made four starts as a rookie last season, going 2-2 in those games. He completed 65.7% of his passes but only averaged 6.0 yards per pass attempt and had a 4.2% interception rate.
Rypien has started four games over his four seasons in the NFL, also going 2-2. On 168 career passes, Rypien only has thrown for 5.7 Y/A and also carries a lofty 5.4% interception rate.
Running Back Depth Chart, Bears:
- D’Andre Swift
- Khalil Herbert
- Roschon Johnson
- Travis Homer
- Khari Blasingame (FB)
The Chicago run game was middle of the pack to solid in 2023.
Their running backs ranked 13th in the NFL in yards per carry (4.2 YPC) and ninth in EPA per rush (-0.04).
They were 12th in success rate (37.8%) and 14th in explosive run rate (10.3%).
The backfield was more of a sum of parts, however, as Justin Fields led the team in rushing overall with 657 yards.
The Bears have replaced D’Onta Foreman with D’Andre Swift this offseason, signaling that they were looking for a back to outright lead this group.
Swift set career-highs with 268 touches and 1,263 yards with the Eagles last season.
After failing to rush for more than 617 yards in any of his first three seasons in Detroit, Swift ran for 1,049 yards in his first season in Philadelphia.
Swift had a 42.8% success rate rushing, which ranked seventh out of 49 running backs to run the football 100 or more times.
More importantly, Swift stayed healthy for the first time in his career. He played a career-high 630 snaps and only missed the final week of the regular season due to rest.
If there were nits to pick with Swift last season, he did have a career-low explosive run rate (9.6%) while his yards after contact per carry (2.42) ranked 45th among that same group of running backs.
To go along with Swift, the Bears have Khalil Herbert in the final season of his rookie contract and Roschon Johnson, who they selected in the fourth round a year ago.
Herbert has been steady whenever given opportunities, but he just has not been able to consistently earn touches.
Since entering the league, Herbert ranks seventh among all running backs in yards per carry (4.9 YPC) and 10th in explosive run rate (12.0%).
Johnson handled 115 touches as a rookie, turning those opportunities into 561 total yards and two touchdowns.
He was the team’s least efficient rusher, but in his first year in the NFL led the team in snaps on third down and snaps in pass protection.
Wide Receiver Depth Chart, Bears:
- D.J. Moore
- Keenan Allen
- Tyler Scott
- Velus Jones
- Collin Johnson
- Nsimba Webster
- Dante Pettis
D.J. Moore had his best NFL season in his first year in Chicago, posting career-highs with 96 receptions for 1,364 yards and nine total touchdowns.
Moore will still only be 27 years old this April and is under contract for the next two seasons.
Chicago went out and added Keenan Allen this offseason via trade to go along with Moore.
Allen is coming off catching a career-high 108 balls in 2023 for 1,243 yards and seven touchdowns while missing four games.
The addition of Allen now gives Chicago the best one-two punch at wide receiver since Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery.
It should also be stated how well these players fit together on the football field given where each of them wins.
In 2023, Moore played 80.6% of his snaps out wide and 18.6% in the slot.
Allen played 58.2% of his snaps in the slot compared to 41.0% outside.
Moore has struggled versus zone coverage while Allen has thrived.
Allen has struggled a bit more against man coverage at this stage of his career whereas Moore has smoked man coverage.
In 2023, Moore was fourth among all wide receivers in yards per route run against man coverage (3.88). In 2022, he was WR17 in that area (2.54).
Against zone coverage, however, Moore ranked 34th in 2023 (1.86) and 46th in 2022 (1.60).
Moore has not had a season yet in his career where he has averaged more yards per route run against zone coverage than man coverage.
Allen was the inverse.
This past season, he was 10th among receivers in yards per route run against zone coverage (2.57) and 13th in that department in 2022 (2.23).
But against man coverage, Allen was 30th in 2023 (2.14) and 29th in 2022 (2.13).
Allen has not been inside of the top 25 wideouts in yards per route run against man in each of the past five seasons.
Despite putting a solid 1-2 punch in place, Allen will turn 32 years old this April and only has one remaining year on his current contract.
His addition should not remove adding a wide receiver here, especially with Moore up for a new contract after next season.
The Bears have a bit of an open board when their second pick comes up at No. 9 overall, but adding one of the top wide receivers in this draft should be near the top of their list because the depth at the position is largely non-existent.
The team selected Tyler Scott in the fourth round last spring and Velus Jones in the third round in 2022, but neither has shown a spark on their small NFL samples.
Scott was 24th out of 27 qualifying rookie wide receivers in yards per route run (0.65) while ranking 20th on that same list in target rate per route (12.5%).
Through two seasons in the NFL, Jones has played more special teams snaps (296) than offensive snaps (259), totaling just 28 touches on offense.
Pre Order the Best Analytical 2024 Football Preview
Don't miss out on Warren Sharp's 500+ page preview of the 2024 NFL season.
The preview is unlike anything you have ever seen, featuring stunning visualizations built with the reader in mind.
This preview shares insights into players, coaches, teams, and philosophies with one goal in mind: to prepare you for the 2024 NFL season by delivering the smartest information in the fastest, most direct way possible.