Ryan Poles has already made his opinion of this 2023 draft class clear. One doesn’t trade down from #1 overall if he thinks the talent level is at a superstar level. It explains why the Chicago Bears GM angled to secure a proven player in the trade with Carolina, snagging wide receiver D.J. Moore. He isn’t sold on almost all of these top prospects, so adding a Pro Bowl-caliber player like Moore gives him some leeway. Now the speculation has ramped up as to what Poles will do next. Most national experts presume he’ll grab the best offensive lineman on his board, adding protection for Justin Fields.
However, sources closer to home don’t necessarily agree. Former Bears scout Greg Gabriel was the first to hint that Poles might be looking to trade down a second time, hoping to secure picks in the 20-45 range, where the “meat” of this draft is. Now Jeff Hughes of Da Bears Blog got in on the action. He’s had reliable connections to the organization for years. After asking around, it has become clear to him. If there is an open avenue, Poles will look to move down again.
Getting a lot of notes about Bears intentions at 9. Have same response to when I was asked about their intentions at 1. The Bears’ intention at 9 is not to pick at 9.
The Chicago Bears clearly remain unimpressed with this class.
There is no way Poles would move down that far from the #1 spot unless he felt there wasn’t much difference between the players going in the top 10 and those going in the mid-to-late teens. Several draft experts seem to agree. This is not a top-heavy draft. The smart thing to do is stockpile picks and see if you can find value in quantity over quality. There are even rumblings of teams engaging the Bears on a possible deal. The Pittsburgh Steelers were the first to emerge. They pick 17th and have big needs at both offensive tackle and cornerback.
Others may get involved if a quarterback happens to slip to #9. Poles doesn’t seem desperate to find takers. It’s a similar vibe to the #1 pick. There will be teams that are interested. It’s about finding fair compensation before making a move. It’s a safe bet the Chicago Bears are seeking at least another 3rd round pick in any deal. That would provide them the necessary ammo to trade up in the 2nd round for a prospect they like.
This isn’t even accounting for the possibility they add more picks in 2024. Poles always talks about thinking of the future in every move you make. What happens in the first eight picks will determine much of this plan.
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