GM Ryan Poles pieced together a draft class that ended with 11 total picks. The fact he started with five when he took over the Chicago Bears shows how much work he put in to change things. Day 3 was where he got aggressive in maneuvering, making several trades that kept adding picks in the 6th and 7th rounds. Poles should be happy with the results. Jaquan Brisker already looks like a future stud. Kyler Gordon has significantly improved after a rough start to the season. Braxton Jones and Dominique Robinson have each flashed significant potential. Only two teams have seen their rookie class contribute more this season than the Bears.
Yet not enough people have mentioned another Poles pick that isn’t getting any fanfare despite what, to this point, has been an above-average season. Chicago selected Trenton Gill out of N.C. State in the 7th round last April. It was a surprise. Many thought the team would either keep Pat O’Donnell or sign a veteran. The Bears bucked those ideas and pretty much gave the rookie a clear path to the starting job. Gill has taken full advantage of that opportunity. So far this season, he ranks 11th in both yards per punt and punt net average. By contrast, O’Donnell ranks 24th and 25th by comparison.
The Chicago Bears made something out of nothing.
Again, they had five picks when the off-season began. In any normal situation, they would’ve made the selections and hoped maybe they got one solid contributor in the bunch. Thanks to Poles’ work, they appear to have three viable starters in Gordon, Brisker, and Gill. Punters may not get the same notoriety as other positions, but their importance to a football team can’t be understated. Field position is still a vital component of NFL success.
There are still areas for Gill to improve. His hang time on punts is among the worst in the league at 4.25 seconds (27th). He also has a habit of taking an extra step that could lead to problems with blocks if not fixed. These are typical things young players deal with. He should be able to fix them with time. The Chicago Bears should have no problem letting him work it out. He’s already proven he can be a long-term piece to their puzzle.
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