Why League Reportedly Sees Antsy Ryan Poles on Draft Day

Ryan Poles' history of swinging deals on draft day lends credibility to ESPN report suggesting he'd trade back from No. 9.

Tyrique Stevenson is an example of a Bears player identified as worth trading up to get by GM Ryan Poles. / Lon Horwedel-USA TODAY Sports

Apparently, the league has Bears GM Ryan Poles pegged.

It caused ESPN's Jordan Reid to conclude Poles will be trading back at No. 9 in Round 1.

Reid quoted an unnamed NFC area scout and if what he said is generally believed throughout the league, then it's easy to see why this move back could be true.

"I'd be shocked if they make that pick at nine," Reid quoted the scout as saying. "Poles loves to move around and build through the draft, and that roster still needs help in some spots."

As a result, Reid concludes the need to acquire more draft picks is necessary and that the move back could lead to either UCLA defensive end Laiatu Latu or Florida State defensive end Jared Verse in Round 1 when Poles finally settle on a spot and picks.

It's not difficult to conclude Poles likes trading to pick up picks more than he does trading up and giving them away, but he has done both.

In 2022 he was handcuffed in a way going into the draft and he moved around to acquire picks. This year with only four picks it's easy to assume he'd be trading down at some point, but it might not necessarily be with the ninth pick in Round 1.

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Also, the reason Poles moved around so much in his first draft was they had no first-rounder, no third-rounder and no fourth-rounder. He had to move around to find picks somewhere. With two picks in Round 1, one in Round 3 and one in Round 4, it's not as desperate of a situation. That's high draft capital they have, even if they have few picks.

Here are trades he made during the draft. Of particular interest is what he did last year when he saw a player he really liked in Round 2, Tyrique Stevenson.

2022 Draft

• After he had already traded Khalil Mack before free agency for a second-rounder, he traded back 16 spots to No. 166 and obtained a sixth-round pick from Houston, then traded down from 166 to No. 174 with Cincinnati to obtain a seventh-round pick. At 174 they picked defensive end Dominique Robinson. They drafted center Doug Kramer with the sixth-rounder (No. 207) they got from the Texans, then drafted guard Ja'Tyre Carter with the seventh-rounder they got from the Bengals.

• Traded back 20 spots in Round 5 with the Bills for a sixth-round pick, then drafted Braxton Jones in Round 5 before using the sixth-round pick to draft running back Trestan Ebner, who has been cut.

• Traded a sixth-round pick the next year's draft (2023) to the L.A. Chargers for two seventh-round picks and selected safety Elijah Hicks and punter Trenton Gill.

2023 Draft

• Prior to the start of the draft, Poles traded the first overall pick to Carolina for DJ Moore, a first-round pick (No. 9), a second-round pick, a 2024 first-round pick and a 2025 second-round pick.

• Traded down from No. 9 to No. 10 with the Eagles in the first round to get an extra fourth-round pick and drafted Tennessee tackle Darnell Wright No. 10.

• Gave up a second-round pick and fifth-round pick to Jacksonville to move up five spots to No. 56 in Round 2 to pick Stevenson.

• April 29 traded down 12 spots for a fifth-round pick in Round 4 and took running back Roschon Johnson, then used the fifth-round pick for promising cornerback Terell Smith.

Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven