Chicago Bears scouts undoubtedly have their personal favorites every year during the draft. Yet, they had to watch many of those prospects go to other teams for most of the Ryan Pace era because there weren’t enough picks to get them. A byproduct of Pace’s ultra-aggressive approach. It was a life they’d grown used to. So they couldn’t have guessed what was to come when Ryan Poles took over.
After three picks on the second day in the 2nd and 3rd rounds, Chicago held three more between the 5th and 6th rounds on Day 3. Just hours before the action began, Poles gathered the team scouts at Halas Hall and gave them a simple directive. Make a list of three players they had an absolute conviction for. Guys they really wanted the Bears to land before the draft was over. Poles then enacted a crazy day of maneuvering, going from three picks at the start to eight picks by the conclusion.
He managed to secure most of the players his scouts wanted during that time.
Poles said from the beginning that he wants to build the Bears through the draft. Homegrown talent is the right way to construct a roster in his mind. That isn’t a big shock considering he came up as a college scout in Kansas City. He knows the hard work the team area scouts and national scouts put in to find the best possible talent. It was always so rewarding to see the Chiefs select players he loved.
Chicago started with five picks in the 2022 draft when Poles took over. By the time it ended, he’d increased that number to 11. While it’s unclear how many of them will end up any good in the NFL, he was able to let his scouts go nuts for once. If they had guys they coveted, he did what he could to land them.
Subscribe to the BFR Youtube channel and ride shotgun with Dave and Ficky as they break down Bears football like nobody else.
Ryan Poles went crazy on Saturday in every way.
As stated already, he made eight draft picks, including two in the 5th round, three in the 6th round, and three in the 7th round. The frenzy involved four offensive linemen and even a punter. Not to mention an edge rusher, a running back, and their second safety of the draft. Nobody could’ve known at the time, but he was just getting started. After the action ended, Chicago went into another frenzy by signing or inviting to rookie camps a total of 28 undrafted players.
While Justin Fields may not have gotten help from the two highest picks the Bears had, Ryan Poles didn’t ignore his young quarterback. Chicago selected six offensive players, including wide receiver Velus Jones Jr., four promising blockers, and an athletic running back in Trestan Ebner. If two of those players end up being good, the Bears will have taken a significant step in the right direction.
The approach wasn’t hard to understand.
In the absence of high-quality picks, he opted for more of a “carpet bombing” approach. Add a large inventory of total selections and draft a ton of players. With some luck, the Bears could hit on a few of them. In doing so, he allowed his scouts to go nuts. It’s a great way for people still unfamiliar with each to bond.
