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Round 1 Bears Trade Proposal Would Deprive Ryan Poles of Valued Asset

Some things in the draft seem to be sacred to the Bears GM and he's not likely to throw one of these away in favor of helping the pass rush.
Gene Chamberlain|
Auburn defensive end Keldric Faulk runs through drills during pro day.
Auburn defensive end Keldric Faulk runs through drills during pro day. | Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

One thing Bears GM Ryan Poles is never afraid of come draft day is making a trade.

He has made 14 on draft day itself and when he does, he most often trades back for picks. Of the 14 trades, 10 went backward for extra picks, only three moved up, and he also made massive deal last year that both moved up and moved back.

Anyone trying to pin down Poles' MO in drafts would be wise to say he'll move back in drafts for extra picks.

In this regard and one other, the mock draft conducted by Sports Illustrated's Matt Verderame with a trade at every Round 1 pick is an abysmal Bears failure.

Verderame's suggested deal for the Bears in Round 1 is to fly up the draft board 10 picks to No. 15.

The trade Verderame made was to bring the Bears a player they would never want to move up 10 spots to select. He had them trade away their 25th pick to Tampa Bay and also their next pick at No. 57 overall in Round 2, to draft Auburn defensive end Keldric Faulk at No. 15.

It would be hard to imagine Poles ever giving away a second-round pick for anything but an offensive lineman or a quarterback. They don't need a quarterback and there isn't a tackle worth jumping 10 spots to get. It's hard to believe they'd pay that extra expense to move up for anyone in this draft.

Nothing against Faulk, and he is the right size for a defensive end in the Dennis Allen defensive scheme at a combine measurement of 6-foot-6, 275 pounds.

Faulk is regarded by many analysts as a player who would go somewhere in the range of the draft where the Bears pick, anyway. They may not even need to go all the way up to 15 in a trade if they want him. He might even be there for them at 25.

Daniel Jeremiah's last mock for NFL.com put him at 30, barely a first-round pick. Mel Kiper regards him as the third-best edge.  Pro Football Focus grade him 22nd.

"Faulk is not a pure pass rusher, but his length and strength make him an ideal fit for multiple or odd fronts," PFF wrote in its analysis. "He excels at holding the line of scrimmage and generating pressure through power."

It sounds like a two-gapper, but the Bears' right end spot plays technique like two-gappers in many other schemes. So, it is not unrealistic to believe the Bears think highly of him despite the fact he is only 20 years old and had only 10 career college sacks for three seasons.

"After trading away one of two second-round picks, Chicago nabs Faulk to beef up its defensive line," Verderame wrote. "Faulk can play inside or out, pairing nicely with edge rusher Montez Sweat."

Basically, he is younger and healthier version of Shemar Turner or ... gasp ... Dayo Odeyingbo.

Sorry, but Poles isn't giving up a second-round pick to move up 10 spots and take this player.

It's not realistic to expect Poles to surrender a second-rounder unless he's moving back and gets another second-rounder or a third-rounder in return. Perhaps he would give one up, along with a third or fourth if he did move up in Round 2.

Expecting a big leap forward in Round 1 is asking way too much of a GM who just loves his second-round picks. Poles has made seven second-round picks in four drafts.

It wouldn't a shock to see the Bears trade back all the way out of Round 1 to Round 2 as a result. The value is usually there at a much lower price.

If they did, they might even find Faulk still there.

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.

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