Ryan Poles Has High Hopes For Overlooked Member of 2025 Rookie Class

The Bears already knocked the ball out of the park in the 2025 NFL Draft. Their draft class was unanimously considered one of the league's best hauls.

Nearly every pick allocated to the offensive side of the ball played key roles down the stretch. Tenth overall pick Colston Loveland developed into one of Caleb Williams' most trusted targets down the stretch and was one of the most productive tight ends over the second half of the year. Receiver Luther Burden III was also on fire to close the year. The selection of running back Kyle Monangai in the seventh round was one of the best value picks across the entire NFL. Ozzy Trapilo was a rock-solid starter after taking over the starting left tackle job in Week 12.

Really, the only relative disappointments came via their defensive selections. 62nd overall selection Shemar Turner, who was their third pick of the second round, only played in five games before suffering a torn ACL. Fourth-round selection Ruben Hyppolite II was a healthy scratch for most of the season despite the linebacker room getting decimated with injuries. Cornerback Zah Frazier, whom the team selected in the fifth round, missed the entire season with an undisclosed (to the media) absence.

While the jury is still out on all three defenders mentioned above, Bears general manager Ryan Poles gave one of them a massive vote of confidence on CHGO's Hoge and Jahns podcast. He certainly isn't selling any stock in defensive tackle Shemar Turner, whom he highlighted as a reason for optimism when it comes to improving the defensive line.

"I was a little bummed with Dayo [Odeyingbo] and Shemar's injuries," Poles said. "I think Shemar is going to be on the same track as Ozzy, Luther, and Colston."

It would be surprising to see him give up on a second-round pick from one year ago. That's simply bad for business. However, it would be fair if Poles didn't specifically mention him in the same breath as his highly drafted peers. As I mentioned above, they all paid huge dividends down the stretch. All three of them were among the best-performing rookies at their respective positions.

The arrows are pointing WAY up on Burden and Loveland. The same would be said for Trapilo if he hadn't ruptured his Achilles against Green Bay in the Wild Card Round. Poles clearly believes we could be looking at Turner in a similar light this time next year.

Honestly, I've been guilty of subconsciously writing off Turner. I've consistently highlighted their weakness at the defensive end position, and have really only given Austin Booker his due credit as a potential in-house solution. I still definitely think they need to add some competition there, but Turner is a significant wildcard in that conversation.

Likewise, his position versatility also makes him an interesting chess piece if they want to deploy him on the interior. He and Dayo Odeyingbo both fit the billing of the type of player who can set the edge against the run on early downs and move to the interior on third. Turner played defensive tackle at Texas A&M, and only moved to defensive end midway through last season, after all.

If Turner backs up Poles' lofty expectations, then the overwhelming concerns about Chicago's defensive line will quickly prove to be overblown. The unit will have a good chance to take the crown from the offensive line as one of the most improved units across the entire league last season.