Mark Potash

The Sun-Times’ experts pick whom they think the team will take with the No. 9 pick in Thursday night’s draft.

Does the USC quarterback have the “it” factor that makes everyone around him better and tilts the field in his favor in crunch time? There’s no doubt Poles sees something special in Williams.

Though Bears GM Ryan Poles has played it coy, selecting the USC quarterback has gone from presumed to inevitable. “I feel really good about our process and where we’re headed,” Poles said. “We know what we’re going to do.”

If Ryan Poles is right about USC quarterback Caleb Williams in Shane Waldron’s offense, drafting the Marvin Harrisons of the world won’t be as critical as it usually is for the Bears. More often than not, elite QBs make elite receivers rather than the other way around.

After a teardown and promising first steps of the rebuild, Poles’ future still hinges on getting the quarterback right. It’s a daunting task, but with the No. 1 pick and recently acquired playmakers, Poles has opportunities to develop a franchise QB that his predecessors didn’t have.

With only four picks, the temptation to parlay No. 9 into additional picks will be tempting. But with Caleb Williams the presumptive No. 1, plus Montez Sweat and Keenan Allen, Poles is assured of a productive draft.

And, of course, Mr. Cub Ernie Banks lands on top of the list.

In 13 seasons from 1991 to 2003, Thomas averaged hitting .309 with 32 home runs and 105 RBI. His .996 OPS ranks fifth in that span — behind Barry Bonds (1.116), Mark McGwire (1.043), Todd Helton (1.041) and Manny Ramirez (1.010).

If the Bears draft USC quarterback Caleb Williams as expected, they have arguably the best pair of wide receivers any quarterback taken No. 1 overall has ever had in Allen and Moore, who have a combined 10 1,000-yard receiving seasons.