The Chicago Bears held the #1 pick in the 2023 draft. GM Ryan Poles elected to trade it, collecting several extra picks and wide receiver D.J. Moore in the process. He did this because he felt it gave the team more ammunition to improve a rebuilding roster and gave their young quarterback a legitimate weapon. However, there was an additional understanding behind this move. Poles knew he carried an added advantage that not enough people are talking about with April around the corner.
He also holds the top pick in the 3rd and 4th rounds. Yes, that also included the 2nd round, but the Bears traded it to Pittsburgh for Chase Claypool. Still, people don’t often remember how valuable sitting atop a draft round can be for a team. If you think that is overstated, here is a list of players who have gone in the first few picks of both rounds dating back a decade.
3rd Round:
- Morgan Moses
- Tyler Lockett
- Kevin Byard
- Yannick Ngakoue
- Alvin Kamara
- Cooper Kupp
- Fred Warner
- Diontae Johnson
- Logan Wilson
4th Round:
- Devonta Freeman
- Trey Flowers
- Daryl Williams
- Eddie Jackson
- C.J. Gardner-Johnson
- Maxx Crosby
- Amon-Ra St. Brown
- Dameon Pierce
The Chicago Bears know they can score big this year.
All the talk may center around the 1st round, but this is a golden opportunity to land potential starters even going into Day 3. That is how fortunate their positioning is. That doesn’t even account for the two other 2nd round picks they have and the extra 4th round pick they got from Philadelphia. Poles is far better equipped than fans realize. The scary part is there’s a possibility he could add even more to his inventory once the action kicks off four weeks from now.
Those picks have plenty of value in trades. Teams often use the intermissions between days to reset their boards and determine which players might be worth pursuing. This means it’s entirely possible some of them will blow up Poles’ phone with offers to reach the top of the 4th round. There is no shortage of possibilities. We’ve already seen what he can do with good leverage. He’s traded back on Day 3 several times in the past. Things could get crazy for the Chicago Bears if the right offer comes around.
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FACTS
That 4th rounder gets time to marinate on market…. That pick may even be dealt pre-draft somehow knowing Poles… 😁 He can boost up market overnight at Minimum
If I recall, they said the same thing about Justin Fields … poor work effort. How did that turn out?
Trade down from 9.
Go BEARS!
I love the way this article is written. More starters in the NFL have come from the day 2, day 3 or day 4 picks. I would 1st like to address, do you know who Ryan Poles is, or Ian Cunningham? Ian had GM offers and decided to stay with Chicago. That says alot. 2nd these guys were in the front offices of the two teams in the Super Bowl this year, let me ask Chicago sport reporters, who do you think is better suited to make franchise decisions you? I put my bet on Ryan and Ian. I hate… Read more »