The draft evaluation process is extensive and exhausting. Every team knows how important selecting the right players can be. The right scouting report at the right time can land a future Hall of Famer, changing a franchise’s fortunes in minutes. Unfortunately, the Chicago Bears have gone through one of the most brutal dry spells in their history when it comes to roster building. GM Ryan Poles and head coach Matt Eberflus have made it their mission to reverse those fortunes.
Eberflus might be a coach first but is no stranger to player evaluation. It was a primary part of his job as a defensive coordinator at Missouri, helping the program recruit players. He learned what to look for on tape and in interviews. While film study remains the primary driving force in most Bears talent acquisitions, the head coach told Adam Hoge and Adam Jahns on the Hoge & Jahns podcast that private interviews hold great importance too.
He detailed how the Bears conduct them, focusing on the player’s ability to absorb and retain information and how well they know the game. Then it’s about determining their character, from their passion for football to their personality as a teammate.
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Matt Eberflus remains focused on the H.I.T.S philosophy.
He understands it isn’t for everybody. The Bears head coach made it clear players will be expected to work really hard under his direction. The Hustle and Intensity parts of the acronym might be the most important. This is why the team prefers to target players with relentless work ethics who love football. They don’t want players who think they can skate by on talent alone or view the game as merely a means to make a living. It’s hard to win championships with players like that.
No evaluation process is perfect. Every team makes the wrong decisions from time to time. The trick is keeping the mistakes to a minimum. If you can secure two or three good players every year in the draft, then your chances of competing in the playoffs every year go up. The Bears haven’t been doing that for a long time. Matt Eberflus believes he and Poles have the right structure in place to find the talent they need. Last year offered promising signs with arrivals like Jaquan Brisker, Kyler Gordon, and Braxton Jones.
Now they have a top 10 pick at their disposal, along with nine others. This is a golden opportunity. They must get it right.
