Ryan Poles reveals Chicago Bears’ draft trade back contingency plan

The Chicago Bears know they’re holding valuable draft capital with the No. 10 overall pick in 2025. While they’ve improved their roster in free agency, there are still holes to fill. The Bears can hold onto the pick and add an elite player into the fray. Or, they could look to trade the pick moving either up or down the board.

Including No. 10, Chicago has four picks inside the top-75. They have more than enough to facilitate a move up the board. But a trade down would give the Bears even more capital and even more opportunities to find future stars in the draft.

That specific scenario is one that General Manager Ryan Poles has already considered. It’ll all come down to how the actual draft shakes out, but if Poles gets offered a trade where the Bears can land one of their top prospects while obtaining more picks, it’s one he’ll have no fear in making, via Adam Jahns and Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic.

“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.”

Ryan Poles’ aggressive Draft Day trade

When it comes to making a Draft Day deal, Poles has been aggressive during his run as general manager. Perhaps his most famous trade is the only that ultimately landed the Bears Caleb Williams.

Holding the No. 1 pick in 2023, Chicago traded that selection to the Carolina Panthers for DJ Moore, the No. 9 pick and a second-rounder that season, plus a 2024 first and second-round pick. The Panthers went on to earn the No. 1 pick in 2024, giving the Bears an opportunity to select Williams.

Poles won’t have an opportunity to shape his entire franchise’s identity with one trade often. However, it’s a sign that he is truly open to all options. If a quarterback like Shedeur Sanders were to fall down the draft board, the No. 10 spot could be where a team comes up to grab him.

Doing so would give Poles and head coach Ben Johnson plenty of picks to work with. And if their top options are already off the board at No. 10, sliding down allows Chicago to select a player high on their board who may be considered a reach at that choice. If running back Ashton Jeanty goes early, that strategy could be key.

Chicago Bears open up draft strategy 

Poles’ first step was finding a quarterback, which he did in Williams. Next was building the foundation around him. Headlined by head coach Ben Johnson, Chicago has done exactly that, putting both their quarterback and franchise in a place to succeed.

Williams got sacked a league-high 68 times in 2024. So, the Bears went out and traded for Jonah Jackson and Joe Thuney before signing center Drew Dalman. Accompanied by tackles Darnell Wright and Braxton Jones, Chicago ensured their blocking unit was majorly improved entering 2025.

But they didn’t forget the defense, as the Bears signed both defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo and defensive tackle Grady Jarrett. Chicago finished the 2024 season in the middle of the pack with 40 sacks, and much worse in terms of total defense, ranking 27th by allowing 354.3 With players like Jaylon Johnson and Montez Sweat already in place, Odeyingbo and Jarrett make the Bears a much scarier defensive force for any opponent.

Alongside what the additions provide on their own, Chicago’s free agency period allows them to be more flexible in the draft. They have addressed many of their biggest needs already. While that doesn’t mean the Bears won’t double up, no longer are they forced to. They can simply draft the best player available based on their board.

Which will make for an exciting night for Bears fans. A trade down the board would only add to it. And that idea is already in the back of Poles’ mind.

Source: https://www.chicitysports.com/ryan-poles-chicago-bears-draft-trade-plan?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=ryan-poles-chicago-bears-draft-trade-plan