Bears and the NFL Draft: Blue-chippers, roster holes and Ben Johnson’s vision

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PALM BEACH, Fla. — When the Chicago Bears leave the sun behind in Florida and return to Halas Hall later this week, general manager Ryan Poles will get to work on his fourth draft board as the team’s general manager.

There is more information to add from his scouts and coaches who attended pro days around the country. There is final medical information to input and consider. And then at some point, there will be some players to omit from the board altogether because of their medical history or off-the-field concerns.

“The beautiful thing of what we did in free agency — we talked about this a few weeks ago — is I really believe that we can look at the draft as a situation where you take best available, which is really important,” Poles said Tuesday during the annual league meeting at The Breakers.

“I think it’s really important for this draft, too, because I think just the way it is, the top (blue-chip players), I think that’s condensed pretty small early in (Round 1), and then there’s a wide range of really good starter level of players that are going to range from probably single digits all the way into 50, 60, 70. (It’s) really trying to pair where the depth is and where you can get certain guys … and the collection of those guys (is) going to be important in terms of moving the needle for us.”

Having four picks in the top 75 (Nos. 10, 39, 41 and 72) is an encouraging starting point.

“It’s a great draft to have those Day 2 picks — 39, 41, 72,” coach Ben Johnson said Tuesday. “I think those are great value picks this year. You’re going to be able to find some really good players that can be contributors, maybe not Day 1, but at some point over the course of the season. We’ll see. We have some depth concerns throughout the roster that we’re looking to fill, but we feel really good about how the roster’s come together through free agency.”

The NFL Draft and the Bears’ approach to it under Johnson came up plenty during the league meeting. Here are eight takeaways from conversations with Poles and Johnson.

1. Johnson’s desire to add an elite weapon could be the driving force behind this year’s draft process.

Poles and his top staff members have watched film of the best prospects in the draft with Johnson and his coordinators. Poles wants to hear why Penn State tight end Tyler Warren fits what Johnson wants on offense but also why defensive coordinator Dennis Allen views him as a problem for defenses. They want that back-and-forth from both sides of the ball on all the best prospects.

The clarity and vision for each prospect provided by Johnson only emboldens Poles.

“That’s probably one of the cool parts of our relationship right now,” Poles said. “We see things similarly, especially on the offensive side of the ball. He has a creative mind on how he can use players. So when we’re watching and there’s guys that can do a lot of different things — it’s kind of how I think, too — is how can we put the opposing defense in a bind trying to figure out what we’re trying to do?

“That’s what made me feel really good about Ben, too, because I felt that playing against him. Without even talking, I can kind of feel his excitement with his body language on what guys can do and how he can use them. You kind of see him thinking through that, so that part’s been really cool to work through.”

2. When it comes to skill positions, Johnson’s desire for different playmakers within the same position group will affect the Bears’ draft strategy.

What happened in 2023 with the Lions remains an important reference. It could foreshadow upcoming moves for the Bears, possibly at running back or tight end. Detroit signed running back David Montgomery away from the Bears in free agency before drafting running back Jahmyr Gibbs at No. 12.

“(Montgomery) had a heck of a start to his career here in Chicago and (we) felt good about his play style and how we want to play football there in Detroit, and it really translated well,” Johnson said. “And then when you get into the draft prospects, we viewed Gibbs as more of a weapon. Not necessarily 1A, 1B, but more they could coexist and really complement each other’s skill set.

“To me, that’s how you want to construct a roster from all your skill positions is: you don’t want five 6-4 guys necessarily in the receiver room. You want more of a basketball team where you’ve got the point guard, you’ve got the power forward. You have a wealth of different skill sets that you can look to call upon wherever you’re at in the field and whatever situation arises.”

3. Having Braxton Jones and Kiran Amegadjie at left tackle, combined with the No. 10 pick, will force the Bears’ staff to ‘ask tough questions.’

“Is this guy gonna make us better in Year 1, Year 2, Year 3?” Poles said about considering a tackle at No. 10. “How do we feel about our guys?”

Poles noted that offensive line coach Dan Roushar, assistant offensive line coach Kyle DeVan and offensive coordinator Declan Doyle “haven’t really had time with either one of (our) tackles.”

Poles, like Johnson, said he still believes in Amegadjie, the third-round pick from last year.

“Not only do I still think highly of him, especially going back to watching the Washington game, there was a lot of signs of him being successful,” Poles said, “especially (at) the tackle position, but he also went through a tough spot. The way it was set up was unfortunate. Minnesota wasn’t a great outing for him. There’s only a small sample size there.”

The Bears won’t get to see Jones at full strength, possibly until training camp, and they’ll have to see how Amegadjie looks as he returns for Year 2. Poles acknowledged that “it makes it a little complicated when you’re now talking about three deep in that space,” but that’s where the tough questions come in. That can force them to keep the best two left tackles while considering all elements of the contracts and skill levels.

And then there’s the uncertainty of the draft.

“There’s a lot to work through, but I’m confident that when we sit down and talk through it and look at the guys in this year’s draft — and plus, we’ve got to see how it plays out, too,” Poles said. “If we have two, three guys that we think are in that spot, they may not be there at 10 either. We’ll be ready for all the different situations that pop up.”

Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty is a real possibility for the Bears at No. 10 — if another team doesn’t grab him first. (Norm Hall / Getty Images)

4. A deep running back class will lead to compelling conversations at Halas Hall.

If Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty is available at No. 10, maybe the Bears’ decision in the first round will be an easy one. The Bears would be adding an elite weapon, one that Johnson presumably covets.

But if Jeanty is not available, the time to strike at running back needs to be debated in the lead-up to the draft. The draft becomes more unpredictable as the picks come in and trades are made.

“There’s a lot of flavors to be had here, value (in) Day 1, Day 2, all the way through Day 3, and I think there’s going to be a lot of good undrafted prospects as well this year, particularly at that position,” Johnson said. “I think they show up each and every year. So we’re really excited. I’ll be curious to hear what (running backs coach) Eric Bieniemy has to say. I’ve seen him in the office a few times now, and he’ll be like, ‘Man, I really like this guy. I really like that guy.’ I know he’s passionate about a few of these guys this year.”

5. Whether or not the Bears’ slot receiver is currently on the roster, it’s a position that figures prominently in Johnson’s offense.

While it might not be a glaring need, and the addition of Olamide Zaccheaus helps, wide receiver is lacking depth. Some questions will be answered when Johnson, Doyle and receivers coach Antwaan Randle-El get to see their players on the field to decide what they have in the slot.

“Can DJ (Moore) play inside? I think he can,” Johnson said. “Can Rome (Odunze) play inside? I think he can. Both those guys showed those traits last year on tape. To what degree, I don’t know yet. We have to hit the grass and see what they’re really capable of and what they do well.”

Johnson mentioned Zaccheaus and Devin Duvernay as players the Bears obviously like but acknowledged that wherever he’s been, the slot has been productive.

“Whether it’s Jarvis Landry or Danny Amendola or (Amon-Ra) St. Brown the last few years in Detroit, those guys were really the focal point of the passing game where I’ve been in the past.”

Maybe Johnson will find his next productive slot via the draft.

6. The Bears don’t need a starter at No. 10 necessarily — and that’s a good thing.

In his first draft as GM, Poles selected a pair of starters in Round 2 in nickelback Kyler Gordon and safety Jaquan Brisker. The next year, there was no doubt that Darnell Wright would start at right tackle, and the same went for 2024 with quarterback Caleb Williams and Odunze.

With the work done on the roster and in free agency, the Bears are in better shape in that they don’t have that obvious hole at a position. Right now, it’d be strongside linebacker, but that’s probably not a position to target at No. 10.  Sure, they could take Jeanty, but they do have D’Andre Swift. They could take Warren, but they do have Cole Kmet. They could take offensive tackle Will Campbell, but they have Jones and Amegadjie.

Now, it’s not as if the Bears are overflowing with depth and blue-chip players. But the roster is in a different situation.

“You’re looking at it in multiple ways. One is like short-term (versus) long-term thinking,” Poles said. “Two, there are certain positions like the premium ones where it’s not guaranteed you’re going to be in a spot to get one of those players, so if you end up with a surplus, then let’s just figure it out after that and compete and the best guy wins and if a young guy’s got to wait then he has to wait.”

Poles also brought up the possibility that a surplus at a position could lead to a trade.

“Or other things can happen where other guys who are currently in those spots get opportunities for other teams, so there are a lot of different options that can pop up,” he said. “But we’re kind of weighing all those things and you put into the equation of how we’re going to handle really all the picks, but 10 especially.”

7. Jaquan Brisker is motivated for Year 4, but safety still should be a draft target.

Poles described Brisker as “fired up,” texting the GM often about the draft.

“He wants to win and he wants to be successful,” Poles said. “So I expect him to be himself. He’s going to play his style of football.”

The Week 5 concussion that ended Brisker’s season was an outlier, Poles said, because Brisker was protecting his head on the tackle.

While Poles can’t ignore the concussion history, he spoke generally about how that position is one where he’d want some other options behind the starters — both of whom are entering contract years.

“That safety position stuff, especially when you play a physical brand of football, which (Brisker) does, you’re always going to want depth really at any position, but it’s definitely something that we do have to consider,” he said.

8. Trading back from No. 10 is a possibility, but it might depend on when the quarterbacks are taken.

With Williams in place, the Bears should be rooting for two quarterbacks to go within the first nine picks. It could mean that one of the Bears’ blue-chip targets is available. But if a team wants to move up to No. 10, Poles will take your call, too.

“For where we are right now, I’m not confident exactly where the first nine picks are going to fall,” Poles said. “But that’s something that we’ll look into and we’ll definitely weigh the option of, ‘Hey, if we can move back and collect a certain pick in this range, could that be really beneficial for us as well?’ So, yeah, that’ll be in play.”

(Top photo: Jim Rassol / Imagn Images)

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