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Bear Digest

The Issues Ryan Poles Might Miss While Addressing This Bears Draft

The Bears' need priorities outnumber their seven picks for this draft and it could leave their GM looking around for extra talent after the draft to fill key roles.
Gene Chamberlain|
Bears running back D'Andre Swift scores a touchdown against the San Francisco 49ers last season.
Bears running back D'Andre Swift scores a touchdown against the San Francisco 49ers last season. | Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

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Chicago Bears

With seven draft picks to make in seven rounds, the Bears still lack enough selections to address every single need.  

There are unanswered questions they face after free agency and just not enough picks to solve every single problem, especially those they could face after this season.  

An edge rusher, a defensive tackle, tackle, safety and possibly even two of them, a center, maybe a wide receiver, and a cornerback, and that's it. Ryan Poles might not even have sufficient picks to devote to all of those, let alone future issues or positions that could become problems.

The longer-term issues can't take priority over getting all of the holes in the lineup or roster filled.

As a result, they may need to look for solutions to some problems in undrafted free agency.

Here are the problems the Bears probably can't fix with this draft.

1. Speed running back

Yes, they have D'Andre Swift but if he suffered an injury there is no back behind him with real breakaway speed. There might not be a long-term answer for what happens after this season because Swift is a free agent then. Swift is only 28 at the end of this coming season, so it's not like they would have to rule out extending him. They could address the future that way and it would mean putting off an addition like this through the draft for at least another year. If they had another pick or two, this is something they could consider.

Usually, the type of breakaway speed that would catch Ben Johnson's attention isn't available late in the draft. They were fortunate to find a contributor as a power runner in Kyle Monangai but speed is more scarce commodity in backs.

2. Kick returner

Devin Duvernay is gone after making several critical returns last year, and the next-best option might be Josh Blackwell. He's not the strongest runner on returns, although he did average 25.3 yards on 18 return last year. Still, a 179-pound backup slot cornerback doesn't fit as the main kick returner because stronger runners work better under the new return rules. A faster running back or a receiver fit that role better. Kalif Raymond is a punt returner, but his days as a top kick returner are in the past. He has had nine kick returns since 2020.

3. Blocking tight end

Colston Loveland was an excellent blocker as a rookie and Cole Kmet is an above-average blocker. For most teams, a third tight end would have the role of "blocking tight end." They come in and are effective in short yardage at blocking the point of attack, away from the ball, and simply just moving back the pile. The Bears don't have that role and could use it. Look for undrafted players or even unsigned players who are free agents for this.

4. Tyrique Stevenson successor

While the Bears have visited or scouted cornerbacks in the run up to this draft, by and large those have been slot types who might project as safeties. Miami's Keionte Scott and Arizona's Treydan Stukes are two examples. Both of these players had a huge percentage of their cornerback reps in the slot or playing in the box. They're good, fast, physical players, but not really boundary cornerbacks like Stevenson.

Behind Stevenson is Zah Frazier, Jaylon Jones, Terell Smith, and possibly Cam Lewis. But Lewis is also a slot type and a safety, not a starting outside cornerback. Jones is a waiver wire pickup. Frazier hasn't had an NFL practice, and Smith is a backup coming off an ACL tear. At the very least, they could use a quality boundary cornerback on the roster who can compete and perhaps take over next year if Stevenson struggles again or leaves when his contract expires in March of 2027. With so many other needs, this one could get shuffled to the background. 

5. Hammer safety

This isn't the starting safety role they're seeking in the draft. They lost Jonathan Owens, who sometimes came in replacing a cornerback near the goal line and in short-yardage situations. Owens was a 210-pound safety and able to be a run stopper or tackler on short passes. They lack a safety over 204 pounds now and are down safeties, period. They could stand to draft two, including one for this role.

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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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