Ryan Poles pulled off an uncharacteristic trade up on Day 2 of the draft, moving up for Miami cornerback Tyrique Stevenson. Knowing the Chicago Bears GM, he likely would look to get the 5th rounder he gave up in the deal back. The man is nothing if not consistent. Before Day 3 even began, the Bears swung a deal sending the top pick of the 4th round to the New Orleans Saints in exchange for the 115th pick and the 165th pick in the 5th round. That gets the Bears back to six picks total for today’s action. It should be a wild afternoon.
This reflects the mentality Poles showed last year. He traded down multiple times on the final day of the 2022 draft. It’s clear he isn’t the type of GM that zeroes in on specific players like Ryan Pace did. He’s more of the mindset that he will stack picks and add a wide array of players. Many won’t work out, but the odds are good the Bears can land maybe two or three solid contributors. It’s not a bad mindset to have. It worked out with them landing Braxton Jones, Elijah Hicks, and Trenton Gill last year.
The Chicago Bears may not be done moving either.
Keep in mind they don’t have a 6th round pick as writing this. It’s possible Poles will look for another trade at some point over the next few hours to see if he can fill in that gap. The Bears have two picks in the 4th round, two in the 5th, and two in the 7th. They are well-positioned to add more young talent. What’s uncertain is who they may or may not target. Three of their first four picks this year were players that met with them privately. Here are names still available that could be targeted.
- Adetomiwa Adebawore, DL, Northwestern
- Jayson Ademilola, DL, Notre Dame
- Deslin Alexandre, EDGE, TCU
- Jeremy Cooper, OL, Cincinnati
- Jaelyn Duncan, OT, Maryland
- Dawand Jones, OT, Ohio State
- Brandon Joseph, S, Notre Dame
- Jordan McFadden, OL, Clemson
- Ilm Manning, OT, Hawaii
- Cory Trice, CB, Purdue
- Dontayvion Wicks, WR, Virginia
Given the Chicago Bears’ need for edge rush help, Alexandre is one to watch. The same goes for McFadden and Cooper. They need depth at guard and center. Wicks is also a name to keep in mind. While their top three wide receiver spots are settled, they do need more depth.
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