Why Ryan Poles Prioritized Offensive Success Rate over Defensive Depth

To hear Bears GM Ryan Poles explain it, the board didn't fall the way of defense in Rounds 2 and 3 for the Bears, so they went all offense despite a defense that struggled last year when it wasn't taking away the ball.

Maybe they need another board.

"Yeah, the board, the (draft) class," Poles said late Friday night. "A little bit of life at the back of the round. It’s different (there). But it’s really how the board shook out. We made that turn into (Round) 2, we had a good sense through our research that that was going to kind of be a hot spot at the very top of 2. It wasn’t really possible to get up that high (by trading) without giving up a ton.

"And at the end of the day, we just follow the board."

No defense and plenty of offense will have to mean the Bears outscore opponents, apparently.

Iowa center Logan Jones at No. 57, a trade down to Round 3 and Stanford tight end Sam Roush at No. 69 and then wide receiver Zavion Thomas of LSU at No. 89 could all be players who play roles in 2026 but probably not opening-day starters considering the talent already in place.

Poles knew the questions about pass rusher and defensive tackle were coming after the late night of picking had ended. He's not giving up on Day 3 of the draft because now they have another fourth- and fifth-round pick they didn't have because of their trade back into Round 3. And also because he has confidence in defensive ends Montez Sweat, Austin Booker, Dayo Odeyingbo and Shemar Turner.

Bears Team Sacks Under Ryan Poles

2025: 35 (10 - Sweat) 26th
2024: 40 (5.5 - Sweat) 17th
2023: 30 (6 - Sweat) 31st
2022: 20 (4 - Brisker) 32nd

Total: 125

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I’m just frustrated of hearing the same “the board didn’t break the way we wanted it to” excuse every…
— David Peters Jr🐻⬇️ (@david_peters_04) April 25, 2026

"At the defensive line position, Book’s coming along with Dayo, Sweat, Shemar," Poles said, although that's not likely to make Bears fans who wanted a defensive end in the draft feel better. "We feel good about those guys. Obviously we have one more day, so we can continue to add. But (we) like what that group is and what they’re becoming and we feel like there is some developmental upside and like I said yesterday, with Year 2 in the system, we should be able to take the next step."

Here are three major takeaways Poles had from the second day.

1. Cole Kmet is safe

"Cole's locked in," was how Poles put it when inquires about his future were made because of Roush being drafted.

Even though they took Roush, who plays the same "Y" tight end spot as Kmet, Poles said this doesn't signify the end of Kmet's time with the team.

Stanford Cardinal tight end Sam Roush stiff arms San Jose State Spartans linebacker Noah McNeal-Franklin. | Stan Szeto-Imagn Images

"Nothing changes for Cole," Poles said. "Again, we're top five in 12- and 13-personnel (2 and 3 tight end formations). If something were to happen

injury-wise to Cole or Colston, you're changing a lot of game-planning stuff that is kind of your bread and butter. So we feel good about that room and the guys that are in there."

It did seem a luxury item, though, because they just drafted Colston Loveland in Round 1 last year.

'Again, we’re top five in the league going 13 personnel," he said. "If something were to happen injury-wise to Cole or Colston, all of a sudden you’re changing a lot of stuff, a lot of game-plan stuff that’s kind of your bread and butter. So we feel good about that room and the guys who are in there."

Logan Jones' leadership, intelligence and speed make him an eventual starting center in the Bears' offense. | Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

2. Logan Jones' ideal fit

They had to get a center somewhere for the future so they got one of the best in the draft. He gets out and moves to the second level in blocking, with the fastest 40 time among centers in the combine at 4.9 seconds. That was top 3% for all combines ever at this position.

"High character guy, really smart, fits our scheme in terms of being able to run the mid-zone, wide zone," Poles said. "Strong, explosive, has great range."

Zavion Thomas of LSU had the third-fastest time at this year's combine for the 40 at 4.28. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

3. Walter Payton bloodline? Hmmm

It's possible there is a distant fblood connection between third-round receiver Thomas and Walter Payton but it's not clear, and as Poles said when it was brought up, "fact check." That doesn't mean look on the internet at some tone-deaf AI explanation. This is one that will take some real digging. Thomas wasn't much help on it.

"Somewhat along them lines," he said, when asked if they were distant cousins. "It’s still a long way. I ain’t gonna lie."

He added: "My grandfather just walked by me like five minutes ago and was just telling me another story about how they slept in the same bed and stuff like that."

What is clear is regardless of connection, this receiver is faster than Payton was, faster than any receiver the Bears have had since probably Devin Hester. A 4.28-second 40 doesn't really do justice to it because it doesn't explain how he runs, but that was the third-fastest time for any player at this year's combine. He needs to become an actual receiver, though, as he'll be raw.

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