Bear Digest

Did Ryan Poles Just Give us a Clue About The Bears' 2026 NFL Draft Plan?

We might have gotten a glimpse into which position group the Bears will target with the No. 25 overall pick.
Pete Martuneac|
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There's nothing an NFL general manager loves more than being coy when it comes to the annual NFL draft. For obvious reasons, they prefer to hold their cards close to their vest and keep everyone guessing. Even when everyone and their mother knew that the Chicago Bears would draft Caleb Williams with the first-overall pick of the 2024 NFL draft, general manager Ryan Poles still would not confirm that before the draft.

However, Poles may have just given us a clue what his plan is for the 2026 NFL draft. The defensive line is by far the Bears' biggest roster need, and most mock drafts have the Bears fixing this roster flaw with their No. 25 overall pick. For many draft analysts, the only question is whether the Bears will target a defensive end or a defensive tackle, as both positions are considered a need. Now, we might know which way Poles is leaning.

While speaking to the media at the 2026 NFL Combine in Indianapolis on Tuesday morning, Poles was asked about his early evaluations for defensive line prospects, and he made an intriguing statement. "From what we know now," Poles said, "I would say the edge is deeper than the interior."

There's still a lot more data gathering that the Bears must do before finalizing their draft board, but if this projection holds, it would stand to reason that the Bears might prefer to select a defensive tackle instead of a defensive end with their first pick of the 2026 NFL draft. If there are more defensive ends with the upside to be starters than there are defensive tackles, Poles might believe he can grab a 3-tech or nose tackle in Round 1 and still add a good pass rusher off the edge in Round 2 or Round 3.

Ryan Poles doesn't stray from his philosophy

As exciting as it is to get a peek at Chicago's potential draft plan, it's important to remember that Ryan Poles prefers to draft the best player available regardless of position. This is how he's always drafted, and in this same media session, he confirmed that this will remain his draft strategy. And as if wanting to give a preemptive retort to the naysayers, Poles pointed out that many draft analysts called Colston Loveland the wrong pick for the Bears last year. Loveland's breakout season, however, vindicated Poles' methods to the fullest extent.

The Bottom Line

At the end of the day, I believe Ryan Poles when he says he's going to stick to his best-player-available draft strategy. It has (mostly) served him well through four NFL drafts, and after he proved so many people wrong with his pick of Colston Loveland, I think it's about time that Bears fans start to trust their general manager to get it right.

What might be of greater interest to Bears fans at the NFL Combine this week is the way trade talks for Tyson Bagent are heating up. If things keep trending in this direction, the Bears may need to save a late Day 3 pick for a new backup quarterback to develop.

Dennis Allen, Ryan Poles, and Ben Johnso
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Pete Martuneac
PETE MARTUNEAC

A former Marine and Purdue Boilermaker, Pete has been covering the Chicago Bears since 2022 as a senior contributor on BearsTalk. He lives with his wife, two kids and loyal dog.

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