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Why Ryan Poles Could Feel Comfortable Using First Bears Pick on Offense

It's not the logical move on the surface for the Bears to ignore defense with their first draft pick but something they've already addressed can make it palatable.
Gene Chamberlain|
A healthy T. J. Edwards last year meant a much better Bears run defense.
A healthy T. J. Edwards last year meant a much better Bears run defense. | David Banks-Imagn Images

The Bears and GM Ryan Poles approach this draft with a focus on defense, especially the defensive front and safety.

They have to get a safety somewhere on Day 1 or 2 because they're without one starter—that is, unless they want to venture out into less talented free agents still available. That's like going to a used car lot and hoping the car you bought with 150,000 miles on it will last another 150,000.

It really needs to be a young player, unless defensive coordinator Dennis Allen flips Kyler Gordon into a starting safety. Based on Gordon's health history, they better draft one either way because their veteran slot cornerback has missed 23 games in four seasons.

The other chief reasons they're looking at defense are the porous run defense and lack of talented edge rushers in the rotation.

Coaches might think of Austin Booker as a potential double-digit sack player but even then they would need another edge because there's no guarantee Dayo Odeyingbo (Achilles) and Shemar Turner (ACL) will be ready to go at the season's outset due to mid-season surgeries.

At the combine, Poles sounded the favorite phrase of every GM everywhere.

"It's gonna be the best player available," he said. "I know that might not be the most popular thing because people see, like on my board, I have yellow tags where we need to fill in, but at the same time, I do believe—especially in the early rounds—one, you've really got to stick to best player available."

If that player is on offense at No. 25, the Bears can find a way to justify the pick.

Offense for Bears at No. 25?

If it's a tackle, like 359-pound Kadyn Proctor from Alabama, it would make plenty of sense with starter Ozzy Trapilo out injured. It could also make sense at wide receiver because even though they have Luther Burden and Rome Odunze, their backup is 30-something slot Kalif Raymond and there are only six receivers on their 90-man roster when they usually carry 11 or 12. Texas A&M receiver Kevin Concepcion or Arizona State's Jordyn Tyson might be too tough to resist and would be great assets if they fell to 25th.

They can go offense first if they believe two things in particular: Booker will keep progressing as an edge rusher, but above all else their run defense will improve simply by the things the team has already done on that side of the ball.

This would mean not only do they think Gervon Dexter has improved against the run, but that Grady Jarrett is at full health and will be an asset, as well.

Linebacker makes a huge difference

The main reason they would think their run defense will be better is simply the changes at linebacker. Linebacker hasn't received enough credit or blame for why the reason the Bears dropped off the face of the earth at defending the run after they were No. 1 stopping the run in 2023. Finishing 27th and 28th against the run in consecutive years drags down their pass rush because the defense must be even more cognizant of the run fake. It gives receivers an extra second to come open.

The linebacker change made is Tremaine Edmunds is gone, T.J. Edwards should be back from injury by the start of the season and Devin Bush signed with the team.

Last year the Bears' run defense went through a tumultuous year when the top four linebackers were missing at one point. They dispatched Tremaine Edmunds and brought in Devin Bush. The Bears may have taken a look at the obvious numbers and decided they could do without Edmunds both because of the money he was due but also his lack of impact on their run defense.

When Edmunds played last year for 15 games, including the playoffs, the Bears allowed 136.9 yards rushing a game. This came against a very good cross section of running attacks—it wasn't like he played against only the toughest teams. There were five top-10 running attacks. There were six games with teams in the bottom third of the league. There were two games each with teams ranked 13th and 15th.

That 136.9 yards a game on the ground with Edmunds playing was a figure that would have been about 28th in the league.

In the four games missed by Edmunds due to injuries, the Bears allowed 110 yards rushing a game. That's almost a top-10 number. The Rams ranked 11th stopping the run for the full season at 110.1 yards a game.

They won three of the four games without Edmunds and beat Pittsburgh despite allowing 186 yards on the ground. They gave up only 254 yards or 84.6 a game in the other three without Edmunds.

Edmunds wasn't their only injured linebacker last year. In fact, T.J. Edwards missed seven games. The effect when Edwards went out was completely the opposite of Edmunds.

Without T.J. Edwards

In the 12 games Edwards played, including the playoffs, the Bears allowed 122 rushing yards a game. That average put them in the 20th range for the league.

When Edwards went out, they gave up 147 yards a game, and that would have been next to last in the NFL for all 19 games. The Giants allowed 147.1.

Obviously, the Bears believe they've upgraded against the run with Bush, who Pro Football Focus graded as No. 3 against the run in the NFL each of the last two years.

If they're already upgraded against the run, it can mean a better pass rush as well. Then their first pick really can come own to selecting an offensive player.

"We’re just really focused on building the best roster we can right now to be honest with you," was the way coach Ben Johnson put it.

It's easier to build the offensive side of the ball further if they already know they have the defense addressed.

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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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