4 bold predictions for the upcoming Chicago Bears season

The first week of September is a time when anything seems possible. For fans of the Chicago Bears, that includes having a football team to be proud of for the first time in a long while. Ever since drafting Caleb Williams with the top pick in the NFL Draft, Bears fans have been anxiously counting the days until Week 1.

The Bears' appearance on Hard Knocks gave fans an unprecedented look at what goes on behind the scenes at Halas Hall, and it did nothing to quell the excitement in the now-crisp Chicago air. It's always difficult to tell what's real and what's fake this time of year, but this Bears team certainly has the look of a group that plans on doing special things.

With that in mind, it's the perfect time to load the hot-take cannon and light the fuse. What does this long-anticipated season hold in store for the Monsters of the Midway? Here are our biggest, boldest predictions for what is sure to be a memorable season.

4. Rome Odunze will finish second on the team in receiving yards

The Bears have never had an arsenal of weapons quite like the one that Ryan Poles has compiled this year. DJ Moore returns, fresh off his 1,364-yard Chicago debut season. So does Cole Kmet, one of the most underrated tight ends in football. Joining them is an array of fresh faces that should instantly jolt new OC Shane Waldron's offense to life.

Caleb Williams has been given a hero's welcome to a team that has been starved for a true franchise quarterback since Sid Luckman's retirement in 1950. Williams has already made history as the first rookie captain in Bears history, and he's drawn raves from coaches and teammates both for his quick grasp of the playbook and his natural playmaking ability.

In addition to Moore and Kmet, Williams will have an embarrassment of riches to target when he first steps onto the field. New running back D'Andre Swift should be a significant threat in the running and passing game. Keenan Allen, who was procured for a fourth-round pick back in March, has been one of the most consistently productive receivers in the league during his 11-year career.

Then there's Rome Odunze, the rookie receiver that the Bears selected just eight picks after Williams. Odunze is one of the highest-graded rookie receivers to come into the league in years, but thanks to a deep rookie class that also includes Marvin Harrison Jr. and Malik Nabers, the Bears were able to stand pat and get him at nine.

That pick seemed like a luxury at the time, but Odunze's speed and route-running ability, combined with the instant chemistry he's flashed with Williams, portend big things. Most observers believe that with so many mouths to feed on this offense, Odunze will have to wait his turn to make an impact, but with talent as undeniable as his, the smart money says that he turns in a more productive season than Allen, Kmet, and anyone not named DJ Moore.

Allen will still be productive, especially as a third-down target, but Odunze will be making splash plays all over the field. Count on the first big year of many for the former Washington Husky.

3. Jaylon Johnson will make First Team All-Pro for the first time

What does a man have to do to get any respect in this league? Jaylon Johnson is a team leader and a flat-out baller, but outside of Chicago, few people seem to know what he's capable of. Perhaps it's the lack of interceptions Johnson has had throughout his career, but he answered those criticisms by picking off four balls last year. Besides, it's tough to intercept a pass when quarterbacks are unwilling to throw your way.

Johnson has improved every year he's been in the league, and even without the interceptions, last year he turned in his best effort yet. Pro Football Focus graded him as the best cornerback in the league, yet when it came time for the NFL's year-end awards, Johnson finished behind DaRon Bland of the Cowboys and Sauce Gardner of the Jets, ultimately settling for Second Team All-Pro.

That won't happen again this year, as Johnson, fresh off signing a well-deserved, four-year, $76 million extension, will show that last year was no fluke en route to making First Team All-Pro for the first time. Bland's case last year was bolstered by an unsustainable five pick-sixes, but with his unparalleled ability to lock down the opposing team's top receiver, Johnson will finally get his long-overdue recognition as he leads a defense that should only build on an impressive 2023 second half.

We already know that Johnson has extra motivation by being left off the NFL Top 100 List. That's bad news for the rest of the league.

2. Caleb Williams and Austin Booker will pull off a Bears Rookie of the Year sweep

It's no surprise that Caleb Williams is the betting favorite to take home Offensive Rookie of the Year. As mentioned previously, he is the No. 1 pick, and he's surrounded by a cadre of weapons. Still, he'll face stiff competition for the award from fellow freshmen Marvin Harrison Jr., Jayden Daniels and Bo Nix.

The real bold prediction is that fifth-round rookie edge rusher Austin Booker will take home Defensive Rookie of the Year honors, but if what we saw in August is any indication, it wouldn't be much of a surprise at all.

Booker was a terror in the preseason, registering 2.5 sacks and nine quarterback pressures on less than 100 snaps while showing off a frightening combination of speed and power. Booker has a motor that never quits, which may be derived in part from being drafted with the 144th pick.

The Bears have been searching for an edge rusher capable of drawing attention away from star defensive end Montez Sweat, and Ryan Poles, who has hit on defensive gems Terell Smith, Gervon Dexter Sr., Tyrique Stevenson, Kyler Gordon and Jaquan Brisker outside the first round in the past two years alone, may have struck gold again.

The last player to win Defensive Rookie of the Year that wasn't drafted in the first round was Shaq Leonard of the Colts in 2018. Other than Al Richardson, who shared the award in 1980 after being the 201st pick, no player drafted below 63rd overall (Erik McMillan in 1988) has ever won DPOY, which would make Booker an extreme outlier, but there are reasons besides his obvious talent to believe that he can do it.

For one thing, this was not a strong draft for defensive players, as none were selected until the Colts took UCLA's Laiatu Latu with the 15th pick. That means that there are no can't-miss prospects taken in the top 10 that Booker will have to fend off for the award.

Booker is also in a great spot on this defense. Sweat will absorb much of the focus from opposing offensive lines, which should leave Booker with one-on-one matchups on his side. Between that and the ability of the Bears secondary to hold coverage, double-digit sacks could be in play for the rookie.

Williams and Booker wouldn't be the first pair of teammates to win both ROY awards. In fact, the Texans pulled off the two-fer last year when CJ Stroud and Will Anderson (the second and third overall pick in the draft, respectively) took home both trophies.

1. The Bears will win a playoff game for the first time since 2011

The Bears bandwagon is a crowded place these days, especially following the national exposure that comes with appearing on Hard Knocks. Even in a tough division, the Bears are around even money to make the playoffs, but we're taking it a step further and saying that not only will the Bears get back to the postseason, they'll win at least one game once there for the first time in well over a decade.

By any metric, Ryan Poles has built a top-10 roster in the league. In Jaylon Johnson, Montez Sweat and TJ Edwards, the Bears have stars anchoring each level of the defense, while the rest of the D is young and showed great improvement in the second half last year.

Opposing defenses won't be able to key on DJ Moore, as he's now surrounded by several other dynamic playmakers. In the end, the Bears will go where Williams takes them, and though it's asking a lot for a rookie quarterback to lead his team to the playoffs and win a game, there's never been a better situation for a No. 1 pick to come into. By all accounts, Williams seems to be the real deal.

Winning the division over a Lions team that is among a select few Super Bowl favorites might not happen this year, but with a strong defense, a multi-pronged running attack and a quarterback that can improvise when the going gets tough, the Bears have a team that should be capable of winning a road game in January.