Pairing Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze was the Bears’ plan

“I love when a plan comes together” ~ A-Team leader John ‘Hannibal’ Smith and probably Chicago GM Ryan Poles

Yesterday was a historic day for the franchise as the Chicago Bears’ plan to pair quarterback Caleb Williams with wide receiver Rome Odunze came to fruition.

The draft board fell favorably, but there were some tense moments in Chicago’s draft room.

“I was nervous that he wasn’t going to be there at 9,” Chicago general manager Ryan Poles said at his press conference last night. “Our simulations, it was about a 50/50 shot if he was going to be there. But as it started to unfold, [assistant GM] Ian [Cunningham] had to hold me back from not trying to trade up and do something crazy to get him. But it ended up working out really well.”

The first part of the plan was the easiest, putting the card in for Williams at one overall, but even that required some restraint from Poles when the Bears went on the ten-minute clock.

“They told me to hold it for five minutes,” Poles told Williams during their draft night call. “I told everyone I’ve been holding out for a month.”

Even before he was officially a Bear, Williams told them who he hoped they’d select at nine overall. “I don’t know if I had a say, but I definitely put a little bit of my intake in there,” Williams said via 670 The Score about them potentially drafting Odunze.

The chance to grow in their careers together had to be an exciting opportunity they looked forward to after building a relationship during the predraft process.

Head coach Matt Eberflus told Odunze in their draft day call, “I could not believe it that it worked out exactly like we said it would,” so he was well aware of Chicago’s desire to draft him.

You can check out the press conferences from Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze in the embeds below.