Draft is done, UDFA are signed and now its a wait and see scenario where teams start to panic or enjoy their roster results for this upcoming season. I immersed myself more in this years draft by finishing my mini scouting list of players and watching all three days, its still a bit of a downer watching how other teams get the guys you coveted for your team, but it takes time to really adjust to the end result and get your head in synch to what teams are really watching or expecting of their players, although some results even with time to marinate the process still end up feeling disappointing. I was neither here or there with what Ryan Poles and the Chicago Bears did in this years draft, I already had a mindset that the team wasn't going to get this big sure fire boost with their picks, aside from their 1st rounder who should be the only pick with big expectations It took me some days and some other peoples opinions to get me a bit hyped about what they did, at the end I say it was an OK draft for the Bears where they did get talent, lets just hope some decisions don't come back hard to bite them in the ass.
The first pick by the Bears was what I would like to call a no brainer, even with Jalen Carter staring them in the face I like that they didn't flinch and made it clear they weren't interested, even getting a pick in return for going down one spot, its a big risk skipping Carter's kind of potential but its understandable if they are not ready to take that type of locker room risk and putting to much on a rookie to be "the guy" that takes you to the next level, it does give the pick they made have even more expectations though. At the end of the day the thing that will matter and what the team will be criticizes on is if Darnell Wright plays at a pro bowl level at some point in his career or not, I do expect Wright to dominate at RT in time, I like the pick a lot.
Some patience needed in the second round and when the pick came in I wasn't thrilled but should have expected it. Gervon Dexter is a solid pick that is a need and the Bears staff decided he was the one of the bunch that would help their team, I personally would have preferred Kobi Turner, but as I got time to watch some people starting to dissect the pick, I do see the potential that Dexter brings to the table which makes me accept the pick. I considered Dexter as a 3T when I watched his games and he can be a 3T but I do see his potential to be an Eddie Goldman type of NT in the future if he manages to bulk up, he needs a lot of coaching but the frame and skills are there.
Next pick came faster than anticipated with the Bears trading up which I wasn't a fan of, giving away picks wasn't something I was looking forward to, the Bears need all the picks they can get even with the ones they already got from trading #1 this year. The other thing I didn't expect was for the Bears to draft a corner this high, what I did expect was for them to steal John Michael-Schmitz from the Giants, but it turned out to be Tyrique Stevenson who was a corner I coveted just not at this spot, Julius Brents was my guy but he was already gone and the other was Darius Rush, but again Stevenson is a good corner and the Bears preferred him and I have no problems with that, he can battle it out with Kindle Vildor for the other outside corner spot aside Jaylon Johnson. Stevenson has good size and doesn't shy away from contact, just needs to get better at diagnosing the play, he did a pretty good job at the senior bowl where he dominated and surely its where he punched his ticket to Chicago.
Didn't have to wait much for the next pick to come in and this was my first shocker of an unexpected pick, this is where I first felt that Poles wasn't going to pick a center and for me that wasn't a good feeling, Ricky Stromberg was the only one left that would have made sense as a pick to me, not that there weren't more good prospects but he was the last one that I considered could be ready for the start of the season, but they wound up getting more help for the DL which I didn't have a problem with if it was a DE, they already passed on Tuli Tuipulotu, maybe Zach Harrison or even Keion White or Isaiah McGuire which all three are hit or miss, but so is the one the Bears picked in Zacch Pickens. I changed my mid a bit after watching and hearing some comments of his game, basically he has the size of a NT but could be a better 3T, he isn't precisely a plug against the run even with his big frame but does flash some good speed when rushing, still he is a project and will be molded and coached to fill a role with the defense, I don't expect he will get significant reps at the start of his career though. Still boggles my mind Poles passed on a high ranked center, its said that he didn't want to go into the season with too many young players forming the starting OL, I think this is half true because even if center isn't a clear need because they have Cody Whitehair and Lucas Patrick as veterans for the position, the problem is that they ONLY have Whitehair, Patrick as veterans for the position, maybe its unfair to say they don't have an answer at center and picking up an upside rookie is going to make the difference, its just the desire of having the best chance possible of getting at least a decent Oline for Justin Fields, I prefer to have new possibilities than old ones I guess, I wouldn't have even mind if they had taken a rookie and didn't play him all season, at least he gets time to adapt, now I feel if they go next year with a with the possibility of a clear need at C they will have to pick high for a really good one in the draft or throw a big contract to the best one in next years FA.
Day three is to get good prospects for depth, in round four I do think the Bears did good. First of all they traded down to recover their 5th round pick they gave up to go up in the 2nd round so no harm there and got a good player with their first of two picks in the fourth in Roschon Johnson, a David Montgomery type of player with fresher legs, if he can run a bit faster than Monty did then he has a good chance to be considered RB1. With their second fourth rounder they wound out picking receiving depth, it sadly wasn't Charlie Jones who went two picks before but instead ended up picking speedster Tyler Scott, feels like insurance if Velus Jones Jr. doesn't pan out, I feel like they will basically play the same role although Scott looks more like a receiver than Jones does right now although Velus has better size with the same type of speed, it going to be a good camp competition between these two.
I honestly didn't expect for the Bears to draft a LB in this draft but with their first fifth pick LB was their choice in Noah Sewell who I didn't like. Sewell is a thumper that could play probably SAM where he can help against the run but not great at coverage, not ideal to be a MLB due to lack of side to side speed and will most probably have to win starting snaps showing what he can do at special teams, I don't expect him to be in line to fill in for when Tremaine Edwards of T.J. Edwards don't get re-signed to a new contract, not when I think Jack Sanborn is better than him, I just cant see him more than a depth player for now. With their other fifth pick they recovered trading down, they double dipped at CB picking Terrell Smith, a rangy long armed corner with some eagerness for tackling, although Stevenson is the better prospect, him and Jaylon Johnson have some medical issues with arm injuries and surgery history so having a plan B in Smith is ideal.
It got really slow since the Bears didn't have a pick in the sixth, with the first pick in the seventh the Bears started taking outside the box picks and got more help at the DL with Travis Bell who they will wish he can be an Aaron Donald diamond in the rough type of player. With the second to last pick in the draft they got a SS in Kendall Williamson, good size and can hit but most probably will have to win his chances to start by winning a spot at special teams.
Conclusion: Aside from Darnell Wright, Poles didn't pick my guys but I like Dexter, Stevenson and Johnson, I can see them contributing early, nothing against Scott but I prefer him not to be needed much this season except maybe as a returner if he has that kind of skill, same goes for Terrell Smith who will have it tough to beat out the rest but I do like his skill set, I honestly am a bit worried about the NB position with only Kyler Gordon as a sure thing. As for the others, I wish them success but I have no big expectations for them. Poles focus on the DL is interesting but would have thought he would do the same for the OL, this team does look like it is what Matt Eberflus would like as a defensive guy, I just hope the OL doesn't bring down the whole thing like it has in the past. No DE picked is strange although there is talk in the interwebs that Poles might make a move. Its year two of a total rebuild, Poles is definitely taking the slow and steady approach of building this team the right way per his train of thought, its still a wait and see if there are enough players in this team that can be counted on and keep the rebuild focused around them.
