Ryan Poles Hints at Draft Day Trades

The Bears already struck the big trade down of the draft but because of their needs and the way talent could go off the board, it's possible they'd deal again.

It's possible Ryan Poles is dropping hints about his course of action during the 2023 NFL Draft again.

He's already done this sort of thing. It happened at the NFL Scouting Combine.

"There are some scenarios that it might benefit us to move before free agency opens potentially, but again when we get back with all the information that we've gathered from here (at the combine) I think we'll have a better direction," Poles said at the combine.

Asked more specifics, Poles left clues.

"There's scenarios where you could, you know, add players as well potentially, which again gives you some clarity on what you want to do in the draft," Poles said.

Then, less than two weeks later and before the start of free agency, he traded down from No. 1 to No. 9 and the player he talked about in a potential trade turned out to be receiver DJ Moore.

At Thursday's unveiling of the players he signed in free agency, Poles was back to throwing out possible future courses of action.

At least it sure seemed this way.

In particular, he was asked about the needs they have in relation to how far back they are drafting in Round 2. The Bears don't pick in Round 2 until No. 53. Then they have 61 from the Panthers trade and also the first pick in Round 3 at No. 64.

"This draft, with the numbers that we counted right now, we got to get some physicals (done) and there's a lot of work to be done still, but there's going to be good players in that range, as well," Poles said. "As you know from the first draft with me, we did a lot of movement back (with trades) but then maybe there's some movement back and then going the other way, too."

Trading Up in Round 2

Some have interpreted this to mean he might move back out of No. 9 now, but it's more likely he was talking about moving up in Round 2. This is where the Bears have a real problem in this draft.

In the past few years, they encountered troublesome draft gaps.  In a few drafts it was watching top talent go by in the first round when they had no first-round pick, and then also they had gap issues when they had no third- and fourth-round picks. Too much talent goes off the board when you have needs but also have draft gaps.

The Bears have needs both at defensive end and tackle, and also offensive tackle.

A survey of the landscape in this draft shows they probably can't get the defensive line help they need as easily from their positions in Round 2 if they opt for an offensive tackle with pick No. 9 in Round 1.

Tackles Calijah Kancey and Adetomiwa Adebawore are thought to be explosive three techniques, and Adebawore a potential end for some downs. Very few mock drafts posted anywhere have put those players going as high as the ninth pick in Round 1 but it's entirely possible both would be gone before No. 53.

The same is true with edge rushers. Myles Murphy, Tyree Wilson and Lukas Van Ness are generally regarded as the best edge options and all or most  would be there at No. 9 but all could be long gone before the 51st pick if the Bears opted for a defensive or offensive tackle at No. 9.

The solution would appear to be moving up in Round 2 by dealing away one of their second-round picks and a third-round pick in order to be able to select Adebawore or even Kancey, if he lasts that long undrafted.

The edge rusher issue won't be solved if they take a potential right tackle first and then move up for Adebawore or Kancey in Round 2 or even late in Round 1. 

First-Round Trading

They do have the capability of moving up into late Round 1 by trading both of their second-round picks.

Poles did mention trading down, and that would apply more to Round 1.

This is difficult to accomplish when you're moving down from No. 9. It's a situation where a team that needs a quarterback and is picking later would need to be willing to move up and give up their pick in Round 1 and then a second-rounder.

If any of the top four quarterbacks remain available at No. 9, then the Bears might get a team fishing for a trade in Round 1. How far back they would want to go would be determined by whether there is value at a position of need where the trading partner sits. But this is an entirely unclear situation.

For instance, if it's Tennessee then maybe the Bears would be interested because they could probably get a offensive tackle at No. 11 or even an edge rusher. Moving back past 11 to, say, 16 with Washington in a trade or even 19 with Tampa Bay could work depending on what's left on the draft board. In the case of Tennessee, they might not be able to get another second-round pick as trade compensation merely to move down two spots. With the other teams it would more more possible.

No Fast Answer on This One

Unlike with Poles' comments at the combine, this isn't a situation where course of action will be known right away.

These are possible draft day trades because they don't involve a player like with the DJ Moore deal and because it's always possible the player the Bears need falls to them.

Bears fans will simply have to wait, just like Poles, and see which players are going off the board before they know if a trade down is coming in Round 1 for an extra No. 2 or a trade up in Round 2 is coming so they can get one of the needed defensive tackles.

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