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The model is out there for Bears general manager Ryan Poles to follow, although he has already been doing the same thing pretty much, anyway.

The New York Jets and Giants have set the Big Apple ablaze with turnaround seasons and in both cases Bears fans can take heart because their general manager seems to be following a similar pattern, even though they haven't yet had similar immediate success.

The thing is, both the Jets and Giants had been rebuilding already—more than once—and had stockpiled good, young linemen on both sides of the football. They also had focused on defense. Now those players are the triggering mechanism for their success.

The Jets have upgraded at receiver with Garrett Wilson in the draft but he hasn't done enough to say he triggered a turnaround. Eventually, he'll be a bigger factor. He has two touchdown catches in six games and both came in Week 2 before the Jets turned around after a 1-2 start by going on a three-game winning streak.

Wheaton-Warrenville South grad Corey Davis is a solid performer who never had a 1,000-yard season or more than 65 receptions in a year. His numbers have not been up to the level of Darnell Mooney's.

They have Braxton Berrios, who is a slot guy out and sixth-round Patriots player who was discarded, picked up by New York and never has had more than 46 catches or 431 yards in a four-year career.

Both the Jets and Giants have young quarterbacks, and neither has been among league leaders. 

Jets QB Zach Wilson has only played three games this year and his passer rating is almost exactly the same as Justin Fields', while Daniel Jones is at 90 for a rating for the first time but it has taken him into his fourth year to do it and he's done it in a rather unorthodox way. The Giants' receiver corps as currently constituted is no better than what the Bears currently have.

The two teams rebuilt by drastically improving their lines on both sides of the ball but particularly by bolstering their defenses.

Isn't that what Poles did last spring?

The Giants are fourth in rushing, 31st in passing, eighth in pass defense but 28th defending the run. Their stats are greatly similar to the Bears

Their best receiver is Richie James, of all people, with 19 catches.

The best take from what the Giants and Jets did is one many Bears fans in social media won't want to hear, and that is they should focus their first-round draft pick on an offensive or defensive linemen.

It's those two lines for both teams where this turnaround has occurred, not the receiving corps.

The Jets drafted tackle Alijah Vera-Tucker in 2021 and he is part of the turnaround on the offensive line. They drafted defensive tackle Quinnen Williams in the first round in 2019.

The Giants drafted tackle Andrew Thomas in the first round in 2020 and right tackle Evan Neal from Alabama this year in the first round.

They drafted Kayvon Thibodeaux on defense this year in Round 1 and nose tackle Dexter Lawrence in the first round in 2019.

The Bears drafted guard Teven Jenkins in Round 2 last year as a tackle and moved him. That's Round 2.

Tackles and defensive linemen drafted in Round 1 have a higher rate of success in the last 10 years than offensive skill positions. Tackles, in particular, are the best Round 1 pick. One study done using players for a decade up through 2020 showed 29 tackle starters who were drafted in Round 1, 13 guards and seven centers. There were 11 tackle starters drafted in Round 2.

This is all something for Poles to consider when the Bears are on the clock next spring, and people are screaming for a wide receiver.

It's very likely Poles needs no invitation to take a lineman considering his background. 

Considering it's exactly the same thing Jim Finks said when he was building the 1985 Bears, it's not a new lesson for anyone: Build with the big guys first.

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