Bear Digest

How Bears being true to draft board challenges Ryan Poles on Day 2

The Chicago Bears GM has challenges ahead with some top players available in Round 2, how they compare to team needs, and if he can stick to his big board.
Gene Chamberlain|
Ryan Poles on Day 2 board ahead.mp4
Ryan Poles on Day 2 board ahead.mp4

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Chicago Bears

When Round 2 of the draft begins, the Bears could face a real dilemma challenging the very structure of their decision-making process.

If you stayed up late to hear or read later what GM Ryan Poles said about the draft, then you could have an inkling about what this issue they face could be.

Poles was describing first-round pick Colston Loveland and stressed the importance of, "...the person, the character, the football makeup, family background...."

They're not the first team to put this kind of emphasis on getting good citizens. It's been a real emphasis with the team since the Ryan Pace GM regime when they had to get Jay Ratliff to leave the premises and when they signed Ray McDonald after a history of domestic violence charges.

The Bears go out of their way to steer clear of trouble.

The other thing Poles stressed in his talk late was their draft board dictating where they go next.

"We will do what we have always done and let the board talk to us," Poles said. "There might be some impact players that are not in those positions. When you start leaning on need, you go down the board and you’re staring at this guy that’s at the top of the board–it’s a tough thing to do in terms of making an impact on your football team.”

He always favors draft board over need.

When the second round starts, sitting right there like a sore thumb struck by a hammer is edge rusher Mike Green from Marshall. He's a real talent and even dominated some of the skilled tackles at the Senior Bowl. There seems little doubt he fell because he has had a few accusations of sexual assault in his past, although he wasn't arrested.

This is a situation they might face if they consider another player later, wide receiver Isaiah Bond. And they had interest enough in Bond to invite him to Halas Hall before the sexual assault charge surfaced against him.

Also, the Bears have a player to consider who might be an injury risk in cornerback Will Johnson, who was considered a top 15 pick by many but has a potential knee problem.

Beyond that, there is the fit for their system. Both Green and Boston College edge rusher Donovan Ezeiruaku are undersized edges. They're not fitting the exact mold for Dennis Allen's defense.

The dilemma here is whether they rate players according to a draft board that is based on their system or just on pure talent.

All of these taken into account, it's easy to come up with a few picks who really do seem to be ideally suited to them.

1. DT Omarr Norman-Lott, Tennessee

They had him come to Halas Hall for a visit. He's considered undersized for a 3-technique but that's the mold for an Allen 3-technique. He's in the Grady Jarrett size range and extremely explosive.

2. T Aireontae Ersery, Minnesota

It's possible he might be available at the third round pick but unlikely as PFF had him rated 69th. He might be a player taken late Round 2 or early Round 3 before the Bears get to their third-round pick. He has incredible size at 6-foot-6, 331 pounds but has that issue common to many tackles in this draft and that's arms 33-1/8 inches. Still, he did a good job on Abdul Carter when they played Penn State and as a second- or third-round pick the Bears could do much worse. They'd insure the tackle spot if Braxton Jones isn't ready to start training camp.

3. DE Nic Scourton, Texas A&M

Not ideal height-wise at 6-3, but definitely not short, he came to th combine having shed about 20 pounds from his playing weight but usually has played around 275-280 and that definitely puts him in the Allen wheelhouse. One thing to note with Scourton is he had 10 sacks in 2023 for Purdue, then went to A&M were there were a handful of good pass rushers and his skill set sort of merged into the group and he had five sacks. 

4. WR Luther Burden III, Missouri

Do they seriously follow their board or are they just conveniently telling everyone this? If they follow it, they would be drafting Burden if they have the chance because at 39 or 41 he very well could be the highest ranked player on it. He ran 4.41 at the combine, is 5-11, 205 and can play all over the formation. His receptions dropped off in half because of issues QB Brady Cook was having at Missouri just like Colston Loveland was much more effective with J.J. McCarthy in his next-to-last year. But a receiver? If he's at the top of the board, as Poles said.

5. T Ozzy Trapilo, Boston College

This one is standing out like a neon sign. He's a Boston College tackle and Poles is the Boston College offensive line alum. At 6-foot-8, 309 and with plenty of room to grow as a player, he improved each year and would be an ideal fit. He can play both tackles. Except there's one thing. It's the arm length! Again! They're 33 inches, not a real problem but at 6-8 you would expect better. He does have an 81-inch wingspan so that's much better than some of the other short-armed tackles who came in with wingspans in the 70s.

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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.