Ryan Poles’ master plan was on display in 2024 NFL draft

If you had said that a meaningless regular-season finale between two AFC South opponents would alter the trajectory of the Chicago Bears franchise, you would have gotten more than a few puzzling looks. However, that’s precisely what happened when the Houston Texans took themselves out of the running for the number one overall pick in their 32-31 victory over the Indianapolis Colts in 2022. Texans quarterback Davis Mills needed to complete two 4th down plays and a two-point conversion to seal the win. Mission accomplished.

While having the number one pick in the draft is a great way for a team to start a rebuild, the work for Ryan Poles started well before the Colts/Texans score went final.

Coming off a 6-10 finish in 2021, Matt Nagy and Ryan Pace had put their final stamp on another forgettable season. It was another year of “what ifs” that had the organization and the fanbase fooling themselves into believing the roster, as presently constructed, was just one or two moves away from contending.

Enter Ryan Poles.

After Poles took over as the GM in early 2022, he chose a message to pass along to the McCaskey family: he was here to break the cycle. The cycle of losing and frustration has been present since the Lovie Smith era ended. The cycle of constantly fighting with Detroit for last place, never hiring the GM/Coach/QB in the correct order, and losing over and over again to the Green Bay Packers. It was time to break that cycle.

The first year of the regime saw the Bears come out with a 3-4 record to start the season despite not making any signings of significance in the offseason. It was a typical start for the franchise and one that, in years past, would have had Ryan Pace trying to figure out how to add more playmakers at the cost of draft capital.

Poles had a different approach. He traded away two defensive leaders: Khalil Mack and Robert Quinn. The Bears lost their final ten games of the season and were on the clock for the number one overall pick….a pick they earned.

I believe this is where Poles’ patience and vision come into play. While we’ll never know when he decided to move from Justin Fields, I believe he recognized the QB draft class in the 2024 draft was far superior and would much rather have his pick of those players while also strengthening other parts of the roster by trading down in the 2023 draft. All he needed to find was a desperate partner.

Enter the Carolina Panthers.

The trade with the Panthers not only strengthened the Bears heading into Poles’ second year, it also directly crippled the team whose draft capital they planned on using. This was a win/win scenario for the Bears that altered their franchise.

• If Justin Fields took that major step forward and the Bears made the playoffs, they would have a very high draft pick in a quarterback-rich draft that they could use to stockpile even more assets.

• If Fields were not the guy, they could use both first-round picks to move up and get their guy.

Fast-forward several months, and the Bears are on the clock again with the number one overall pick…a pick they didn’t earn.

Enter Caleb Williams.

Poles acquired a much better quarterback prospect, superstar wide receiver (DJ Moore), and several other cornerstone pieces, all by being patient and understanding where his team was and where it was headed.

Taking Caleb Williams became a no-brainer, and pairing him with Rome Odunze (ninth overall selection) cemented this is Ryan Poles’ final move in his rebuild masterpiece. Yes, the team still has holes, most notably at EDGE, but as we have seen with Poles, he is always looking beyond this season.

While the 2024 NFL draft was rich with QBs, WRs, and OTs (all positions attacked with the first three picks), the 2025 draft is rich with EDGE rushers. There could be as many as ten first-round picks along the defensive line, and Poles should be in another premium spot to wait for his guy or trade up if he sees someone he can’t pass on (the Bears have two second-round picks).

While past regimes have had one or two good seasons during their tenure, it never felt like they were building anything. Most of the time, it was a random flash-in-the-pan good season, followed by the wheels falling off in the following seasons. However, this regime feels different. There is a plan, and that plan is being followed. Will it take the Bears back to the Super Bowl, something that hasn’t happened in over 15 years? Only time will tell, but as Poles has shown us, taking your time isn’t always bad in the long run.