NFL executives, scouts, and coaches aren’t confident in the protection Caleb Williams will get in his second NFL season.
ESPN conducted a poll to decide the 10 best tackles in the NFL ahead of the 2025 season. The Chicago Bears didn’t have anyone in the top 10, and none of their players received a vote.
This is a worrying sign for Williams. The 2024 first overall pick was sacked 68 times in 2024, which is tied for the third-most sacks taken by a quarterback in an NFL season. Only three quarterbacks were hurried more times. C.J. Stroud was the only quarterback to face more pressures than Williams, who also threw the ball away on 36 occasions.
On SI.com, Matthew Schmidt criticized Chicago’s options on the offensive line, with Braxton Jones and Darnell Wright picked out as subpar starters at tackle.
Schmidt also wrote, “Williams might not get sacked around 70 times again next season, but that does not necessarily mean he will have adequate protection. If the USC product once again fails to have enough time in the pocket, it could spell very bad news for the Bears’ offense.”
Bears Improvements
Despite Chicago’s poor offensive line play in 2024, Williams was eighth in average pocket time. The Bears also attempted to improve their offensive line in the offseason.
Ozzy Trapilo, an offensive tackle out of Boston College, was selected in the second round of the draft. Joe Thuney and Drew Dalman were acquired in free agency, and Jonah Jackson was a shrewd add via trade.
Thuney was voted among the top 10 interior linemen in the sport. Dalman also received a vote. Trapilo brings important depth at either tackle position and could be a starter within the first few weeks of the campaign. Johnson has a relationship with Ben Johnson after overlapping in Detroit.
Williams In Fantasy Football
Fifteen quarterbacks scored more fantasy football points than Williams in 2024. He is QB10 according to the latest ADP from Fantasy Pros, putting him ahead of Brock Purdy, Justin Herbert, and Jared Goff.
The Bears are going to be a different team in 2025 with Johnson as head coach and Declan Doyle as the new offensive coordinator. Williams has the talent and upside to be a top-10 quarterback, but this relies on a significant improvement from their offensive line.
There are concerns about the tackles, and Trapilo is unlikely to fix that issue if Jones or Wright underachieve in the first few weeks of the season. Goff is a much safer fantasy pick than Williams as it stands, and Purdy is a better option in the inventive offense of Kyle Shanahan.
