Caleb Williams Call Video Uncovers One Of The NFL Draft’s Longstanding Mysteries

The Chicago Bears selected USC quarterback Caleb Williams with the first pick of the 2024 NFL Draft.

Chicago knew Williams was the pick for weeks, if not months now. So did everyone else paying attention. But the Bears still used the majority of their 10 minutes on the clock before announcing the pick.

That isn’t uncommon. It happens every year with the first pick, despite the team selecting at No. 1 typically knowing their selection months in advance, and now we know why.

Chicago released a video on social media that showed general manager Ryan Poles and head coach Matt Eberflus officially informing Williams that he would be the pick.

In the video, Poles tells Williams “they told me to hold it for five minutes…we’ll put the pick in at the five-minute mark.”

The “they” is presumably the NFL in this situation. Who was likely told by broadcasters ESPN and the NFL Network to hold the pick in order to get their necessary television segments done before the pick came in.

Once you get further down the draft, it makes sense that teams would have to assess their options with regard to trades and what players are left on the board.

But it never made sense for the number one pick. The same team has been on the clock for months. So why do they need to take an additional 10 minutes to get the pick in?

Now we know.

In previous eras, there may have been some drama. Maybe the team didn’t know who it was picking. Or, at least, fans didn’t know.

But with the nonstop coverage of the draft these days, the No. 1 overall pick is rarely is ever actually a secret. And the first round of the draft always takes an eternity.

So why make it any longer?

Well, we can thank the networks and broadcasters for that, it appears.