New Draft Rumor Could Have Drastic Impact On Ryan Poles’ Plans

Ryan Poles gave up control of the 2023 draft when he traded the #1 overall pick to Carolina. The Chicago Bears GM was okay with that. It meant he gets three extra picks and a proven receiver in D.J. Moore. However, the hard part is still to come. Now he must wait to see what happens with the eight picks in front of him. How things unfold may determine what he does with the 9th pick. Nobody knows for sure what will happen, but one prominent insider decided to unload his latest information.

Benjamin Allbright has a strong track record of accuracy in NFL circles, especially when the draft is involved. He correctly predicted the first six picks of the 2021 draft. He also nailed four of the first five in 2022. So whenever he unveils something, it’s worth taking note of. In a recent tweet, he revealed how he believes the first five picks in this year’s draft will go based on his latest information. If it’s accurate, it could set a record that nobody has seen in the modern draft era.

That list suggests four quarterbacks may go in the first four picks. That has never happened before. Twice in the Super Bowl era have three gone in the first three picks, once in 1999 and again in 2021.

This outcome would greatly impact Ryan Poles’ plans for the Bears.

More quarterbacks going in the top five means more non-QB prospects will fall to later spots. That increases the likelihood a prospect Poles may covet falls to #9. On the flip side, it also creates the possibility a cluster of players he likes will still be on the board. That means he can execute the long-rumored desire to move down a second time, picking up more draft capital while still landing a player of preference. This can be the massive benefit of so many quarterbacks going that early. Recall how Patrick Surtain II fell to #9 in 2021. No way that happens in a typical draft, but because three QBs led off the 1st round, it was made possible.

This is the potential good fortune facing Ryan Poles. It’s possible he knew this was coming, having evaluated the quarterbacks himself. He understood through interviews that strong impressions would be made on the quarterback-needy teams. Two are already locked in for the top spots. Another is guaranteed land in Indianapolis at #4. The one missing piece was Arizona at #3. Rumors persist they’re aiming to trade down. Teams like Las Vegas and Tennessee are obvious candidates to move up.

If it happens, the Bears will be in a great spot when they go on the clock.