Grading Ryan Poles' first 3 drafts as the Chicago Bears GM

Every era of Bears football sparks unwarranted hope in the Chicago fanbase.

When Ryan Poles was hired in 2022, he was another unproven executive immediately crowned as our guiding light for the future. At least he came from a winning organization, right?

Describing his first 3 seasons as the Bears GM as rocky would be an understatement. Unfortunately, he was tasked with turning over an entire inherited 53-man roster. Even so, I didn’t expect multiple 10 game losing streaks, a complete whiff at head coach, a lost locker room, and more questions than answers.

Poles’ background as a college scout and director of player personnel led me to believe that he could build a program through the draft. He talked about it on Day 1. He was going to focus on the draft.

There have been clear hits and obvious misses, but how has he actually fared in his well-oiled machine of a War Room compared to those who used to sit in his chair? Let’s look at each Bears draft pick since 2012:

This is a subjective grading scale with a lot of nuance involved with each player.

Draft Pick Grading Scale:

4 points = Elite player

3 points = Very good player

2 points = Starter / Significant Contributor

1 point = Reserve / Special Teamer

0 points = Off Roster / Fringe

Ryan Poles

Ryan Pace

Phil Emery

Results

Recent draft picks can’t be legitimately graded until they have 2/3 seasons under their belt, so I’m projecting out the 2024 Draft Class based on potential. Some of the older or retired players on this list required assumptions or simply a full-career lens instead of a singular moment in time.

With those recent projections included, here is how each of the GMs stacked up:

How should we assess Ryan Poles heading into the 2025 NFL Draft?

If everything was based on numbers, I would have to believe in Poles way more than I currently do.

We know what Bears football is like. What it should be. What it has been for decades. There are a billion reasons to not trust in Poles as he attempts to build around his chosen franchise quarterback with a newly courted head coach.

Did he really have to draft a punter? Was the Jalen Carter trade worth it? Are all of his player evaluations worthless because they haven’t been coached well? Can he only improve the trenches with veterans? Are 4 cornerstone players in 3 drafts enough to build a contending foundation?

Early returns have been underwhelming on Sundays, and last season’s rookies have a long way to go. It’s possible that our eye test continues to be proven right. His 3 Top 50 picks this week may not end up being good players.

But I will blindly follow. Yes, with a bit of (amateur) statistical analysis. Because I want to think he can turn things around. He says the right things. He’s methodical with the cap. He cares for his players as human beings. At the very least, he’s already an improvement over the last couple GMs.

George McCaskey always mentions how Poles is young and eager to learn on the job. If 3 solid drafts are his floor, let’s hope for more home runs in the coming years.