Ryan Poles is the GM. He has the final say in every roster decision he makes for the Chicago Bears. However, he made it clear in his first draft last year that he trusts his scouts to a large degree. He even went so far as to procure several extra picks via trades on day three, then asked his area scouts who their favorite players left on the board were. He spent the rest of the day trying to acquire as many as possible. One must keep this in mind with the 2023 draft looming closer because one scout is set to take center stage.
Brendan Rehor is somewhat of a rising star in the Bears organization. Or at least it feels that way. The man was a combine scout for them over a short period before they made him their Midwest area scout in July of 2021. A few months later, he had a direct hand in the selections of Velus Jones, Dominique Robinson, Doug Kramer, and Trenton Gill. Three of those rookies have already become regular contributors on the roster. Poles must’ve been impressed with Rehor because he promoted the scout again last year, handing him the most prestigious job of any area scout.
The Southeastern region.
That promotion by the Chicago Bears is about to be tested.
Most experts would agree the southeast has by far the highest concentration of future NFL talent in the country. Of the 32 first round picks made last year in 2022, no fewer than 13 came from that region. So yeah, Rehor got an important job. Yet this coming year will be magnified. The Bears are one loss away from holding at least the #2 pick in the NFL draft. That means they most likely will have their choice of the best non-QB prospect in the entire class. Most experts agree the heavy favorites for that honor will be either edge rusher Will Anderson or defensive tackle Jalen Carter. It just so happens that both players go to southeast schools in Alabama and Georgia.
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That means they’ve been under the direct observation of Rehor for months. His scouting reports on each of them could carry the greatest weight in determining what Poles does with that top pick. If he makes the wrong assessment, it could cost the Chicago Bears their biggest opportunity to land a superstar in years. If he gets it right, the entire landscape of the organization could change.
Anderson and Carter each have their supporters among Bears fans. It won’t be surprising if they cause splits inside Halas Hall too. However, Rehor’s word will carry the most weight. No pressure.
