Ryan Poles had the secondary at the top of the draft board
Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles choosing to address the need at secondary over the wide receiver was not an impulse decision during the 2022 NFL Draft. Video released by the Bears on their Youtube channel confirms the Bears were going with Kyler Gordon and Jaquan Brisker before anyone else. By pick 39, when Gordon was selected by the Bears, Poles listed Gordon and Brisker as his top choices.
“Write down Gordon one… Brisker, two,” the caption reads Poles saying in the Bears draft room. Brisker would of course stay on the draft board until the Bears plucked him away at pick 48.
Many talented wide receivers were taken in the first round which left fewer good choices on Day 2. However, there were a couple of options the Bears passed on who were drafted between 39 and 48. Wan’Dale Robinson, from Kentucky, was taken by the New York Giants at 43. John Metchie III, from Alabama, was taken at 44 by the Houston Texans.
Metchie was a name CCS mentioned as a player for the Bears to keep an eye on. For good reason, as he found the endzone eight times last year. It appears the Bears didn’t have him or another player of any position in mind other than Brisker as a fallback if Gordon was taken by another team at 38. It’s surprising and disappointing the Bears didn’t have a wide receiver on their board higher than a player who fell to them at 48. But then again, maybe Poles and his staff know something all of the other NFL team’s scouts missed.
The future will tell if the Bears made the right picks
The additions at secondary will help to improve the position that had a lot of struggles last season. Especially in the red zone. Reports from camp seem to show the staff is excited about the two young studs on defense. Poles had hinted he wanted an early-round wide receiver but said he would not reach, per multiple reports. Poles drafted wide receiver Velus Jones Jr. in the third round of the draft.
While Gordon and Brisker will be fun to watch on Sunday, my fingers are going to stay crossed I don’t see Metchie and Robinson pop up on my red zone channel this season. (While we’re at it, I’ll also throw George Pickens who fell to 52nd as another good option the Bears could have taken.) If one of those wide receivers starts hitting in fantasy leagues, Bears fans will surely gripe for years to come.
For More Great Chicago Sports Content
Follow us on Twitter at @chicitysports23 for more great content. We appreciate you taking time to read our articles. To interact more with our community and keep up to date on the latest in Chicago sports news, JOIN OUR FREE FACEBOOK GROUP by CLICKING HERE
