I have to admit something. As a lifelong Chicago Bears fan, I've been eagerly anticipating the upcoming NFL Draft for a very long time. Before the season even ended, if I'm being honest. As the Bears have made one killer move after another this offseason, from hiring Ben Johnson to running their own episode of Extreme Makeover: Offensive Line Edition, my anticipation has only grown. Now that it's just over a day away, I have to say, I'll actually be a bit relieved when it's done.
Thinking about the draft so much has been exhausting, albeit in a good kind of way. I just want it to get here because after securing our quarterback of the present and future in Caleb Williams last year and then massively upgrading the Matt Eberflus era to the Ben Johnson era, it feels like this is the draft that finally, and I do mean finally, will be the coup de grace to stamp the Bears as real contenders.
I'm prepared for anything. The Bears have the 10th pick in the first round, then the 39th and 41st overall picks in the second round. Almost nothing would surprise me. That's the benefit of having a roster that's already been fortified throughout the offseason — you can take the best player available and not self-sabotage by reaching for need.
I've been lusting after Ashton Jeanty for months. Others are coming around to Tyler Warren. There's always been the strong possibility that the Bears could take Will Campbell or Armand Membou if either offensive lineman falls into their laps. Maybe it's none of the above and Poles goes with an edge rusher. Or trades up. Or trades down. It's enough to make Staley Da Bear's head spin.
Poles held a press conference with assistant general manager Ian Cunningham on Tuesday, and he dropped a few interesting tidbits that Bears fans are already picking apart. Let's get into a few of those and what they might mean as we wait for Roger Goodell to step on stage at Lambeau Field.
Ryan Poles name-dropped Darnell Wright in an interesting way
The Bears have to be happy with the way Darnell Wright has played in his first two seasons in the league. The 10th overall pick in the 2023 draft, Wright has only missed one game in two seasons while being the one reliable constant on a Bears offensive line that's been decimated by injuries and subpar play.
Wright will welcome a trio of reinforcements alongside him this season in the form of Joe Thuney, Drew Dalman and Jonah Jackson. It figures to be a massive upgrade on the interior line, which in theory should allow Wright and Braxton Jones to do their thing on the outside.
Wright is entrenched as a starter, but it appears that Jones may not have the same kind of job security. Poles said during his press conference that the team would be open to moving Wright to left tackle if the Bears found someone they liked that was better suited to right tackle in the draft. "I think that's a conversation, we'll see how everything goes," he said of shifting Wright over. "He clearly has the ability to play left or right."
Wright did play some left tackle in college, and now that he's had two years of professional seasoning, it makes sense that he'd be more equipped to play on the left side than someone that's fresh out of school. This scenario is absolutely in play for a number of reasons. For one, you always want your best tackle to be on the left side, and Wright has clearly been better (and more available) than Jones. A rookie being tasked with protecting Caleb Williams' blind side is a recipe for disaster, just look at Kiran Amegadjie's disastrous Monday Night Football start in Minnesota last year.
Braxton Jones has been passable, but nobody sees him as a top-10 left tackle in the league. To make matters worse, he fractured his fibula late last season and may not be ready in time for the start of the season.
Armand Membou or Will Campbell could put the Bears in position to have to make this decision if either of them fall. It's possible, even though they've been linked to teams drafting ahead of the Bears such as the Patriots, Jets and Saints.
Poles is expecting things to get "wild" at the top of the draft
Sometimes the top of the draft can be a rather rote affair, as teams stand pat and pick the players that most experts expected all along. Other times, however, things can get a little crazy, and Poles anticipated that this could be one of those years.
"I feel like this one is going to be wild. We are prepared for all of the scenarios that pop up," he said on Tuesday. What that could mean is anyone's guess. The Tennessee Titans look like they're going to stay at No. 1 and take Miami quarterback Cam Ward, but there's little else that seems locked in after that.
Poles seems to have a handle on how the Bears will play their hand, but so much can change between now and when they pick on Thursday night. If it becomes clear that there will be a lot of movement in the top 10, does Poles stay put, or does he take advantage of a desperate team by trading down? Conversely, does he trade up himself to ensure the Bears get the exact player they covet, whomever that may be?
This is why they pay him the big bucks, and Ben Johnson will certainly have a big say in what the Bears end up doing, as well.
There are some players that could inspire some top-10 trades that might interest the Bears, and others that they'd be glad to see go ahead of them. In an ideal world, a couple of quarterback-needy teams will trade up to take Shadeur Sanders and/or Jaxson Dart. A surprise run at receiver would also suit the Bears just fine, as they're all set with DJ Moore and Rome Odunze as their top two.
No more messing around. Who do the Bears want, and are they willing to move up to get them?
Poles has traded back in the first round before, but he's never moved up. Could this be the year that he does? From the sound of it, there are two prospects that could tempt him to take the leap, and they play on opposite sides of the ball.
One is Ashton Jeanty, the Boise State running back that was already being talked about by some as a generational prospect, then went and dropped a letter on The Players' Tribune that only increased the hype around him even more.
The Bears are one of two teams (the Raiders being the other) that have been consistently linked to Jeanty throughout the offseason. There could always be other teams out there that are keeping their cards close to the vest in regards to their interest, but no other team in the top 10 seems likely to take the Heisman runner-up.
The Raiders draft sixth, so if the Bears decide they have to have Jeanty, they'll have to get at least to five. That won't be cheap, and Poles will have to steel himself against a wave of criticism if he does move up to snag a running back, especially given the depressed value the position has these days.
The other prospect Poles might have his eye on his Mason Graham, the defensive tackle out of Michigan. Graham is a disruptive force on the interior of the line, but nearly every mock draft has had him locked in to the Jaguars at five. Would Poles really be willing to get to four to get the former Wolverine?
Based on a conversation he appears to have had with defensive coordinator Dennis Allen, the answer might be yes. Fans have speculated that Poles told Allen that Graham was "1 or 2" on their draft board, so if the Bears could move up to get him without giving up too much, that could be an offer they can't refuse.
There's also the chance that Graham falls past the Jaguars, a possibility that Adam Schefter hinted at recently. The NFL insider, a Michigan grad himself, seemed adamant that the Jags and new general manager James Gladstone would go in a different direction, to either Jeanty or Arizona receiver Tetairoa McMillan. The teams between the Jags and Bears don't have an obvious need for a defensive tackle, though any one could draft Graham if they feel he represents the best value. They could also trade down to a team that's willing to pay for the privilege of moving up to get him.
If Graham somehow fell to the Bears at 10 and they were able to pick him without surrendering any additional draft compensation, that would be a dream scenario. It does feel unlikely, though, and it would take Poles slowing down what may be an itchy trigger finger if Graham begins to slip. Will he hold the line and see if is top targets are there at 10, or will he be more aggressive? The wait is almost over, Bears fans, then we can finally relax for a bit.