Ryan Poles was an offensive lineman when he played football. One would think that would give him the necessary expertise to find good blockers. Ozzie Newsome, a Hall of Fame tight end, drafted Todd Heap and Mark Andrews. John Lynch, a Hall of Fame safety, drafted Talanoa Hufanga. Martin Mayhew won a Super Bowl as a cornerback, then drafted Darius Slay. Yet all the evidence to this point suggests Poles has a baffling blind spot when it comes to offensive linemen. None showcases this more than Kiran Amegadjie.
It was a surprise when the Bears took the left tackle out of Yale in 2024. Not only was he coming from a smaller conference with lesser competition, but he also nursed a quad injury. Poles insisted Amegadjie had the kind of traits that could be developed into something special. The fans were skeptical. They felt the Bears should’ve gone in other directions. Apparently, even people inside Halas Hall felt the same. Tyler Dunne of Go Long revealed some Bears staff saw Amegadjie as a wasted pick.
Two years later, the Bears took a swing on 6-foot-5, 323-pound Kiran Amegadjie in the third round. Chicago’s area scout, Tom Bradway, had a very high grade on the Yale tackle and Poles bought in. The GM slotted Amegadjie at the top of a Day 2 stack. Others on the staff saw a UDFA because a.) the competition in the Ivy League was subpar and b.) the tape wasn’t exactly dominant. He had size and athleticism but didn’t push people around. “What is he going to do against NFL players?” one scout asked. “When he has to face real rushers with strength, length and power that can bend? That are violent?”
Ryan Poles’ reputation is circling the drain.
He already had little credibility coming into the season. Amegadjie missed another chunk of training camp with an injury setback, got moved to guard, and was declared a healthy scratch last week against Detroit. Barring something unexpected, it looks like the former 3rd round pick will never see the field in any meaningful capacity for the Bears. That falls directly at the feet of Ryan Poles. He is the one who lets a single scout shape his perception of a player rather than gather the opinions of everybody. As a result, he wasted a valuable draft pick that could’ve helped the team improve. Stories like this about Poles are popping up more and more these days. If this season spirals, one has to wonder how the franchise can justify keeping him around.
