This Is Ryan Poles’ 1st Round Plan Based On Recent Rumors
Rumors are difficult to trust by themselves, but when you cover a team for long enough, you start to gain the ability to paint a picture. Little details start making more sense as more rumors emerge. That has become the case for the Chicago Bears. GM Ryan Poles hasn’t told anybody his intentions with the #9 overall pick. It’s possible not even his scouts or assistant coaches know. Secrecy is essential at this stage. Even so, that hasn’t stopped some credible insiders from bringing up key details that give you an idea of what is coming.
Based on everything that has surfaced over the past two weeks, I think I’ve gained some clarity on how Poles views the board going into Thursday night. Not only that, but he seems to have a reliable plan in place for several eventualities.
Top options at #9 overall:
- Jalen Carter, DT, Georgia
- Paris Johnson, OT, Ohio State
- Peter Skoronski, OL, Northwestern
These three names are mentioned the most often, with Carter and Johnson consistently being the top two. However, expectations seem to be that neither will be available at #9. Skoronski is the “break glass in case of emergency” option in such a case. If all three are gone, then the plan changes.
Fallback options in a trade down:
- Darnell Wright, OT, Tennessee
- Broderick Jones, OT, Georgia
- Lukas Van Ness, DE, Iowa
- Bijan Robinson, RB, Texas
- Nolan Smith, EDGE, Georgia
There remains a strong belief Poles wants to move down again from #9. That would explain why names like Wright, Jones, and Van Ness have also been connected to them. While they could conceivably go 9th, most experts have them landing somewhere in the teens range. It’s pretty clear the Bears hope to come away with a good player in the trenches tomorrow night.
Ryan Poles should get one of his top four.
It sounds like Johnson is a lock to go before the 9th pick at this point. Carter remains a mystery. Many can see him going as high as #5 to Seattle. Others think he if he gets past them, then Chicago becomes a real possibility. Presuming both are off the board, the odds are favorable that Skoronski will be there. Some people may not like his lack of flash as a prospect. It doesn’t change reality. The Northwestern lineman was an excellent left tackle in college. If he can’t function there in the NFL, most believe he has a bright future as a guard.
After that, Ryan Poles understands the color pallet shifts from blue to red. That means taking chances on players that may not become stars but should at least be decent starters. Wright is the perfect example of that. He’s a ready-made right tackle tested in the best conference in college football. He could start immediately and probably play ten seasons. It’s unclear what the Bears GM truly wants to do, but he appears to have an array of options ready.