Nobody knows what the Chicago Bears will do in the upcoming NFL draft. GM Ryan Poles hasn’t offered any clear indications of his plans. However, most would agree it will either be an offensive tackle or a defensive lineman. Names like Paris Johnson, Peter Skoronski, Broderick Jones, Lukas Van Ness, and Tyree Wilson are constant sources of discussion. All seem like the most obvious candidates for the #9 pick. There is one wild card that people are reluctant to discuss. What about Jalen Carter?
Barely a month ago, many agreed the Georgia defensive tackle was the best overall prospect in the class. He is big, strong, lightning-quick for his size, and a terror to deal with when his motor runs hot. Then in the span of two weeks, he was arrested for street racing that resulted in two deaths and showed up to his pro day out of shape. It reinforced many evaluators’ concerns about his maturity and questionable work ethic. Many feel it is a legitimate possibility he falls to #9.
Poles might be trying to find out if he could fall even farther.
Ryan Poles might be playing a chess match.
Shortly after the Bears traded down from #1 overall, rumors surfaced that the GM was already considering the possibility of doing so again. A team doesn’t do that unless they feel they can secure a top talent. Poles may be currently gauging the market for two reasons. He wants to know which teams might be willing to move up. That is the obvious part. Also, he might be digging deep for information on which team after the 9th pick might take the risk of drafting Carter. He will know how far he can move down if he gets what he needs and is willing to take the risk.
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Draft slides happen a lot in NFL history. Players projected to go in the top five or ten fall to the teens or 20s. Warren Sapp fell to the 12th pick in 1995. Concerns about drug use surrounded him. Randy Moss fell to 21st in 1998 due to several legal problems in college. Dez Bryant had a troubled upbringing in his youth and violated NCAA rules while at Oklahoma State. Thus he fell to the 24th pick. All became excellent NFL players.
Ryan Poles might be willing to take the risk on Carter. However, he’d prefer to hedge his bets by stockpiling as many extra draft picks as possible. He saw the Kansas City Chiefs do this in 2011. They liked wide receiver Jonathan Baldwin but knew he had character question marks. So they moved down from #21 to #26, collecting an extra 3rd round pick. Baldwin flopped in the NFL, but that 3rd rounder became Justin Houston. Poles may approach Carter the same way.
