Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles is preparing for his fourth draft with the franchise. Now on his second head coaching hire, Poles understands that he cannot afford to make any mistakes in 2025.
The arrival of Ben Johnson has brought plenty of excitement to the Bears. But Chicago has gone through this song and dance before. Coming off of a 5-12 season, the Bears must prove themselves on the gridiron before anyone declares them a playoff contender.
Poles’ time as GM has come with some major hits and some major misses in the draft. Going into 2025, Dan Wiederer of The Chicago Tribune sent a worrying reminder of the worst case scenario.
“The Bears have been celebrating this month’s contract extension for cornerback Kyler Gordon, who was Poles’ first draft pick in Round 2 in 2022. And that excitement is understandable. Gordon was a promising prospect who has developed into an impact playmaker and now is under contract through 2028,” Wiederer wrote. “But of the other 25 players Poles has taken in his first three drafts, it’s hard to say definitively whether more than two or three will become second-contract players with the Bears.”
“Five players from Poles’ initial draft class are gone, including Velus Jones, who was a massive miss as a third-round selection,” Wiederer continued. “And it’s arguable that Poles hasn’t had an impact hit outside of the top 40 picks. (Braxton Jones may be the lone candidate.) Simply put, after promising to build a championship contender through the draft, Poles hasn’t built much. This is a pivotal draft to change that.”
Ryan Poles’ hits and misses
Poles didn’t have a first-round pick in his first draft with Chicago in 2022. However, he found a home run in his first selection by taking Kyler Gordon with the No. 39 overall pick. Gordon recently signed an extension that made him the highest paid slot cornerback in the league.
In that same draft, Poles found safety Jaquan Brisker in the third round and Braxton Jones in the fifth. Both are poised to be starters entering 2025. However, 2022 was the same year Poles took arguably his biggest draft miss, Velus Jones in round three. The wide receiver had 12 grabs for 135 yards and a touchdown during his three-year tenure.
Poles was spot on by taking Darnell Wright at No. 10 in 2023. He will be the team’s right tackle for the foreseeable future. However, the jury is still out on Gervon Dexter and Tyrique Stevenson. Furthermore, third-rounder Zacch Pickens and fourth-rounder Tyler Scott haven’t lived up to expectations.
But ultimately, the general manager will be judged by the 2024 NFL Draft. Poles put Chicago’s franchise into quarterback Caleb Williams’ hands, giving him a stud wide receiver in Rome Odunze to pair with. The Bears will go as far as Williams does. If he lives up to his No. 1 pick standing, Poles’ draft history looks a lot stronger.
Why 2025 is different for Chicago Bears
Williams’ rookie season didn’t go to plan. Alongside the 5-12 record, the quarterback failed to live up to expectations, throwing for 3,541 yards, 20 touchdowns and six interceptions. However, the Bears did not put the rookie in a place to succeed.
For starters, the offensive line wasn’t up to par. While Williams held onto the ball too long at times, all 68 of his league-leading sacks weren’t his fault. Now, the Bears have beefed up their offensive line, adding guards Jonah Jackson and Joe Thuney alongside center Drew Dalman. Williams is expected to have more time upright in the pocket.
However, even if Williams had a world class line, the Bears’ play callers were ever changing in 2024. Both offensive coordinator and head coach Matt Eberflus were fired midseason. Johnson not only possessive an explosive offensive mind, but he gives Williams a foundation to stand on. There is a clear offensive plan in place and starting point from the quarterback to work from.
The 2025 NFL Draft is the final stages of Chicago’s roster retooling. It gives the Bears an opportunity to patch up numerous holes on their roster. And based off of their aggressive free agency, they’re poised to take a best-player-available approach, adding hoards of talent to their roster.
The Bears have four picks inside the top 75. Poles is counting on most, if not all of them to be immediate contributors. If they are, Chicago will be competing for a playoff spot. But if Poles’ 2025 draft class doesn’t live up to the hype, his seat will become scorching hot.
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