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The Picks Ryan Poles Made and Could Have Made Can Frustrate Bears Fans

Looking back at the picks the Bears GM made and could have made is not an exercise for those with weak stomachs.
Gene Chamberlain|
It's easy to second-guess GMs making decisions in the NFL draft, but Ryan Poles did get better at preventing this last year.
It's easy to second-guess GMs making decisions in the NFL draft, but Ryan Poles did get better at preventing this last year. | Chicago Bears On SI Photo: Chicago Bears video

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The Bears have trumpeted their cooperation between coaches and personnel as a key to last year's draft, and the reason they think this year can work the same way with improving their defense.

Coordinator Dennis Allen got the short end of it last year in the draft and free agency as they focused more on getting Ben Johnson's offense help to complement quarterback Caleb Williams. GM Ryan Poles probably won't have that same emphasis.

"When we first got Dennis in, and it was really for all the coaches—position coaches, coordinators—they came in and talked about what they need and what's the prototype," GM Ryan Poles said.

They've done this again this year and last year showed they can make it work.

No one can argue with their selection of Colston Loveland. Luther Burden and Ozzy Trapilo, in Round 2, and running back Kyle Monangai in Round 7 were successes.


They can't say they worked this defensive side cooperation between the Poles and his staff, and Allen and his staff for success to any degree yet. It’s an unknown this year.

Last year's draft failures were fourth-round linebacker Ruben Hyppolite and fifth-round cornerback Zah Frazier. It's difficult to include second-round defensive end/tackle Shemar Turner in this assessment because he suffered an injury just when it appeared he really was making strides.

In the case of Frazier and Hyppolite, it's not even fair long term to call them failures. Frazier didn't even get to practice last year but is already 25 and will finally start his career this offseason, while Hyppolite did disappoint as a rookie who had to step up when injuries set in at linebacker and didn't. Maybe it changes in Year 2.

Instead of taking Hyppolite, though, Poles could have simply chosen Shemar James. The Cowboys took the Florida linebacker 20 picks after Poles took Hyppolite and his 4.39-second combine speed. The Cowboys got a player who made 91 tackles, two for loss, 40 solo, and 1 1/2 sacks with a forced fumble in 14 games. Meanwhile, Hyppolite made six tackles with seven games played without a serious injury.

If they wanted a cornerback last year, instead of taking completely inexperienced Frazier out of UTSA and SIU in Round 5, Poles could have instead chosen Denzel Burke. The Ohio State cornerback went later in Round 5 than Frazier went to Arizona, started, broke up 11 passes, and picked off three passes. They apparently were dazzled more by Frazier's speed than by Burke's proven ability against the best college competition.

It's always this way in a draft. There are regrets, but the Bears had only a few last year largely because of that cooperation between Poles and coaches.

Before last year, though, the cooperation wasn’t so good. Either that or Poles just got a lot better making draft decisions.

Here’s what second-guessing Pole picks turns up before Johnson and staff arrived.

2022 first draft fiasco

Poles, the rookie GM, made Kyler Gordon his first selection and the talent the Bears' nickel cornerback has is obvious. He also has missed 23 games. They could have waited and drafted Marcus Jones, who has one more interception (6) for New England than Gordon and also has battled injury issues. Jones has a passer rating against of 96.8, better than Gordon's 103.3. They could have even traded back for an extra pick and taken Jones instead of Gordon.

Instead of drafting Jaquan Brisker in Round 2 like they did, they could have traded back for a pick and taken Nick Cross, the Colts safety who went to the Commanders in free agency this year. They took Brisker at 48 and Cross didn't go until 96. Cross has missed only one game while Brisker missed 16, and Cross has one more interception (5), but did need two years to work his way into the starting lineup. Cross has a 98.7 passer rating against when targeted while Brisker's is much worse at 109.2.

Even better, they could have cooled their jets on a safety then and selected Coby Bryant in Round 3. Or they could have traded back in Round 3 and still had Bryant because he didn't get drafted until Round 4 by Seattle. Now they have Bryant anyway.

Instead of taking Brisker or Gordon, they could have drafted Saints cornerback Alontae Taylor or wide receivers Alec Pierce or George Pickens. They also could have taken tight end Trey McBride instead. If they did take one of the two receivers, they wouldn't have had to make their next big mistake in the first Poles draft. That was taking Velus Jones Jr. at 71 in Round 3.

Wince.

In Round 5, it's hard to fault Poles for getting Braxton Jones at tackle. You don't usually get tackles that late who start and are as good as Jones was before his ankle injury. Later that round Poles took Dominique Robinson, a former wide receiver who made 3 1/2 sacks and 39 tackles in four years. Five picks later the Packers took Kingsley Enagbare, another edge who made eight more sacks, 79 tackles, and would have been a better addition to the pass rush rotation.

In Round 6, Poles took guard Zack Thomas, who wound up with the Chargers after being cut. He could have drafted Jamaree Salyer, a massive tackle who was drafted by the Chargers and started for two years. Or he could have taken Cade Mays, the Carolina starting center who just signed with the Lions in free agency. Mays went 13 picks after Poles took Thomas, but eight picks before the Bears drafted failed center project Doug Kramer.

The last big Poles gaffe of that draft was taking running back Trestan Ebner in Round 6. Isaiah Pacheco didn't get drafted until Round 7.

Zacch Pickens and other 2023 snafus

Moving back one spot and taking Darnell Wright instead of drafting Jalen Carter at No. 9 isn't something Poles can be slammed for too much, because they really needed a right tackle and Wright is an All-Pro even if Carter also is. It was simply what they felt they needed more, and Carter had off-field baggage as well.

They can't even be faulted much for drafting Gervon Dexter in Round 2 because they needed two defensive tackles and Dexter has 13 1/2 sacks in three seasons. It's just that he doesn't defend the run.

What Poles did bomb out on was defensive tackle Zacch Pickens as the first pick in Round 3. The Rams selected edge rusher Byron Young 13 picks later. The Bears hadn't even traded for Montez Sweat yet at this point, and Young has gone on to make 27 1/2 sacks in three seasons. If they really had their hearts set on defensive tackle instead of edge to start Round 3, the Rams took Kobie Turner 25 picks after Poles selected Pickens. Turner has 24 sacks, a huge amount for a defensive tackle in three seasons.

In Round 4, the Bears found Roschon Johnson at a time when there weren't many good running backs left in the draft. A round later, Cincinnati did draft Chase Brown, and he has about 1,600 more rushing yards while catching an impressive 137 passes for 953 yards and 10 TDs.

The Bears felt a need to get a receiver near the end of Round 4 and selected Tyler Scott, who made 18 NFL catches. If they traded back, they could have had this guy named Puka Nacua at the end of Round 5. You remember him, the one who caught the 16-yard playoff pass that essentially beat them in overtime, along with 313 regular-season passes, 4,191 yards and 19 TDs.

This draft had even more thrills and chills. Poles picked linebacker Noah Sewell 148th in Round 5. Just 19 picks later the Texans took linebacker Henry To'oTo'o, who lacks sufficient consonants, has too many apostrophes, but also has 131 tackles and four interceptions while Sewell has 40 tackles without a pick.

Just tack on Round 7, too, as the Bears drafted and cut defensive tackle Travis Bell. Much later on the Eagles drafted defensive tackle Moro Ojomo. He has seven sacks, including one in the run up to a Lombardi Trophy.

Back for more in 2024

The bellyaching about the Bears taking Caleb Williams over Jayden Daniels has subsided somewhat, but the selection of Rome Odunze ninth overall still gets scrutinized.  Odunze hasn't been bad when healthy, with 98 catches, 1,395 yards, and nine TDs. But Brian Thomas was picked 14 spots later and has 37 more receptions for 594 more yards, and three more TDs. Ladd McConkey has 50 more receptions for 543 more yards and four more TDs after being taken in Round 2.

In Round 3 there was the Kiran Amegadjie selection. He's been in six games and the Bears could have used that 75th pick for just about anything, lineman or otherwise. Not to be picky, as Delmar Glaze isn't exactly a household word, but the Raiders took the Maryland tackle two spots later. He has started throughout his first two seasons. The Colts took Pitt tackle Matt Goncalves four spots later and he has started 24 games.

The Bears hadn't yet traded for Joe Thuney or Jonah Jackson yet, and instead of drafting Amegadjie they could have drafted guard Dominick Paul. The 49ers took him 11 picks after Amegadjie and he has been a starter since Day 1.

And while they have to like what Monangai has done this year, instead of drafting a punter in Round 4 of 2024, they could have taken running back Bucky Irving and his 1,710 rushing yards with 77 catches for 669 yards, and 12 total TDs.

There's always someone else out there. Fortunately, Poles reduced the second-guessing with this coaching staff’s help.

How he’ll do without right-hand man Ian Cunningham around is the big question for this year.

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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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