Ryan Poles has established a pattern through his first two drafts as GM of the Chicago Bears. He isn’t afraid to trade, and he always trades down. Six of the seven trades he’s made during a draft were down the board. He has made only one exception to that rule. It occurred on day two of the 2023 draft when the Bears moved up from the 61st pick to the 56th in a deal with Jacksonville. Their target was Miami cornerback Tyrique Stevenson. Of the names available, that wasn’t one fans expected to hear.
Poles finally got the chance to explain his reasoning in detail on the trade. He spoke with Cynthia Frelund of NFL Network about it. It came down to a feeling Stevenson was somebody they wanted and knew he wouldn’t reach them if they stayed put.
“Our information that we had, we knew this was the zone he would go in…From our pick to up a few spots, we saw a pretty good concentration of teams that had corner as a top need. So we felt comfortable making that move and getting Tyrique.”
The teams he was referring to were the New York Giants (#57), Dallas Cowboys (#58), Buffalo Bills (#59), and Cincinnati Bengals (#60). The Bengals took Michigan cornerback D.J. Turner at that 60th spot, so there’s some confirmation of Poles’ information. Buffalo took one in the 7th round, Dallas in the 6th, and New York in the 6th as well. So there was some validation for him making that move.
Ryan Poles knew Stevenson had what the Bears look for.
He was big, long, and athletic. His style of play was physical. The kid isn’t afraid to tackle. He also demonstrates good patience and awareness in coverage, which is why it’s difficult even to complete passes against him. Poles knew handing him over to this coaching staff was the right decision. Defensive coordinator Alan Williams is a defensive backs guru. It’s been his area of expertise for two decades. Jon Hoke, a longtime cornerbacks specialist, helped turn Tim Jennings into a Pro Bowler during his first stint with the organization.
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Stevenson has everything you could want in a future NFL cornerback. It comes down to whether he’s willing to put in the work. If he didn’t believe the kid has what it takes, Ryan Poles wouldn’t have drafted him, let alone traded up first. Expectations are that Stevenson will be a starter opposite Jaylon Johnson on opening day. If so, it speaks to their confidence in his abilities. The Bears suddenly have one of the league’s youngest and most athletic secondaries. Stevenson has a chance to become one of their best players.
