Ryan Poles, Bears see aligned goals with presumptive No. 1 pick Caleb Williams: 'Win multiple championships'

LAKE FOREST, Ill. (670 The Score) — At the end of a long scouting process leading up to a franchise-altering decision, Bears general manager Ryan Poles knows whom he'll select with the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft on Thursday evening.

But Poles on Tuesday wasn't ready to announce it just yet. He’s leaving that for NFL commissioner Roger Goodell on Thursday evening in Detroit.

“Everyone's got to tune in on Thursday to watch and figure out,” Poles said with a wry smile.

The Bears are set to select USC quarterback Caleb Williams with the top pick, as they hope he can become the transcendent franchise arm that the organization has long sought.

Williams, 22, won the Heisman Trophy in 2022 as he threw for 4,537 yards, 42 touchdowns and five interceptions. He then threw for 3,633 yards, 30 touchdowns and five interceptions at USC in 2023. Williams played in 11 games at Oklahoma as a freshman in 2021 before transferring to Southern California.

Starting last fall, Poles and his scouting department have done detailed work on Williams, confirming that he's worthy of the No. 1 overall pick. The Bears cleared the way for Williams in March by trading three-year starting quarterback Justin Fields to the Steelers in exchange for a conditional sixth-round pick in 2025.

The Bears met with Williams for a visit in late March in Los Angeles prior to his pro day workout at USC, then hosted him at Halas Hall in early April for a top-30 visit. As part of welcoming Williams to Lake Forest, the Bears had veteran players like receiver DJ Moore, tight end Cole Kmet and linebacker T.J. Edwards dine with him.

Edwards declined to discuss Williams out of respect for the pre-draft process but felt the dinner went well.

“You get to know people and how they fit in the culture and things like that,” Edwards said. “At the end of the day once we get people here and once whoever is signed will be here, we’ll hit the ground running with that.”

The Bears also own the No. 9 overall pick in the first round, which should present several enticing options for Poles and his brass to continue building their roster. But there’s no question about whom Chicago covets with the top selection.

The Bears have found their match with Williams because of the dynamic talent he has and a vision that aligns with Poles – one of achieving greatness and winning Super Bowl titles in Chicago.

“We all should have huge goals,” Poles said. “We have huge goals here – win multiple championships. And that’s what we shoot for. You’re more intentional when you have these goals, you have to live a certain way, you have to practice a certain way, you have to go about your business a certain way in order to accomplish those. If everything else is in line underneath that, that gets me excited.”

Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670 .