The Chicago Bears had somewhat middling drafts during the first three years under general manager Ryan Poles. There were some bright spots like Kyler Gordon, Darnell Wright, Gervon Dexter, and, of course, Caleb Williams. However, there were many misses as well. Not until 2025 did the team produce its best draft class in years, scoring three instant hits with Colston Loveland, Luther Burden, and Kyle Monangai. It led many to wonder what had changed following the arrival of head coach Ben Johnson and his staff.
New Bears assistant general manager Jeff King was recently asked about the team’s ongoing success at finding late-round and undrafted gems. In the course of explaining, the executive revealed what appears to be a significant shift in the team’s overall scouting strategy.
“You know, everybody’s going to see traits. It’s going to be on every card, every draft guru is going to see traits. But where we’ve found those guys that have helped us the most is, you know, whether it be Jack Sanborn or T.J. Edwards, these guys we think that we’ve hit on in the past, I mean, the football player…the instincts…the play temperament…things like that come into play more so than the physical traits.”
For the longest time, Poles seemed to believe that physical traits were a guiding light for their roster-building. He wanted guys who were bigger, stronger, and faster. That is how they ended up with players like Dominique Robinson, Velus Jones, Kiran Amegadjie, and Zacch Pickens. All had great measurables. None of them worked out. Johnson seems to have changed that thinking.
The Chicago Bears aren’t all about traits anymore.
Don’t get it twisted. Physical ability is still very important to on-field success. That said, Johnson stated from the beginning that his goal wasn’t to get great athletes. It was to get great football players. Loveland was a perfect example. While he had good size and speed for his position, he didn’t wow anyone with his physical attributes. The selling point was how smooth and fluid he looked as a pass catcher on the field. Burden was another example. Good size and good speed, but elite in neither category. Again, it just popped on tape.
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This confirms that the Chicago Bears have shifted more toward a team that balances measurables with on-field evidence through film study. No more projections. Take guys who have already shown they can do it on a high level. Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers general manager Rich McKay once said his organization often prioritized traits for years, and it got them nowhere. He decided to shift more towards productive players. The Buccaneers experienced a rapid turnaround, culminating in their 2002 Super Bowl championship.
It isn’t the first time the Bears have had to go through this.
When Ryan Pace first took over as general manager, he suffered from the same issues. He was hyper-focused on physical traits vs. on-field success. That is why he took swings at guys like Kevin White, Leonard Floyd, and Mitch Trubisky. It wasn’t until around 2018 that there was a noticeable shift in the team’s approach. They started focusing more on established players. Roquan Smith was their 1st round pick that year. David Montgomery followed in 2019, while Cole Kmet and Jaylon Johnson were the top choices in 2020.
This seems to be a problem with young general managers. They were taught as scouts to always stay focused on traits. Look for the hidden potential. It hadn’t yet set in that those traits are worthless if they don’t have a fundamental understanding of football. Former Bears 1st round pick Michael Haynes was an absolute unit. He also didn’t have the drive or the know-how for the pro level, making him a colossal bust. This shift in philosophy by the Bears couldn’t have happened at a better time.
