Ryan Poles didn’t have time to listen to the mainstream media regarding his work during the 2022 draft. He was way too busy. That is what happens when you make four trades and pick 11 total players. The most the Chicago Bears have secured in a single draft in 14 years. He was a man on a mission. Poles wanted to flood his roster with as much young talent as possible and believes he accomplished that goal.
The reaction from fans and the media are mixed. Some love what he accomplished, fortifying the secondary and finding several athletic developmental options for the offense. Others were underwhelmed, feeling Poles should’ve done a better job getting Justin Fields some legitimate help. The Bears GM isn’t bothered by that. He explained why he’s so confident he did well to Larry Mayer of Chicagobears.com. It stems from his communication with other NFL colleagues during the draft.
“What was cool was that with Velus Jones Jr. and actually a couple of the players, people I know on different teams texted me that they were upset that we took their guy. It’s confirmation that you’re on the right path. It just makes you feel good in terms of where you had the player on your board as well as that you saw the talent that other people saw too.”
That is a pretty big signal Poles did something right.
When fans are upset you took a player, that’s one thing. When actual NFL people who get paid to do this for 365 days a year are upset, that is different. It offers a pretty clear sign the new Bears GM did something right. Hearing Jones was coveted by other teams should tell people that the age concerns weren’t nearly as pronounced in league circles. One can only speculate who the other players were.
Either way, the message is clear. Some high-ranking people in the league begrudgingly respected the work Ryan Poles did. That bodes well for Chicago as they move forward. Results may not be immediate, but it might not be a surprise to see several members from this 2022 class emerge as legitimate starters in a year or two. His approach to the entire process was undoubtedly different.
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Rather than stay focused on a small group of prospects like Ryan Pace did, he opted for quantity by trading for multiple extra picks. Then he worked with his scouting staff to pinpoint players they had “absolute” conviction in. It appears that process got the reaction he was hoping for.
