Anonymous NFL Exec Takes Shot At Ryan Poles' Draft For Dumbest Reason

Ryan Poles isn't ignorant. He understands every move he makes will come under criticism. That is the reality of being a GM in the NFL. It doesn't just come from fans and the media, either. Even his own peers around the league will have their thoughts. Multiple former GMs have already come forward saying Poles did an excellent job addressing the needs of his team. They particularly love the Chicago Bears landing Darnell Wright in the 1st round, followed by each of his selections in the 4th and 5th rounds.

That said, some aren't overly impressed. Mike Sando of The Athletic spoke to multiple executives around the league to gauge the thoughts on Poles' draft. One wasn't overly impressed. His reasoning was, shall we say, weird. While he praised the decision to select Wright, he took issue with the Bears' moves in the 2nd round. His reason why was, well, see for yourself.

“If they are going to spend this year evaluating Justin Fields to see if they are going to be going up for a quarterback next year, you’ve got to give him every chance,” an exec said. “Getting a solid tackle is the way to go. But when you turn Roquan Smith into Gervon Dexter and get Tyrique Stevenson with one of the Carolina picks, is that going to get us fired up?”

It’s a reminder that picks become prospects, who have uncertain futures.

“Maybe these guys are going to be good,” the exec said. “My guess is they are going to be, at best, solid starters who play four years and hit free agency.”

So basically, his beef with Poles is that his picks weren't flashy enough.

They don't replace what the Bears lost in Roquan Smith. First of all, they weren't supposed to. Poles already accomplished that objective when he signed Tremaine Edmunds in free agency. The two-time Pro Bowler is not only younger and a better fit for Matt Eberflus' defense, but the Bears got him for $2.5 million cheaper. Dexter and Stevenson only add further value to the trade. If both become solid starters, that is a big win for the organization.

Ryan Poles doesn't care about being flashy.

His objective is to find talented athletes that his coaching staff can mold into good football players. Ryan Pace was all about the bold moves during his time as GM. Look where that got him. Being boring doesn't matter in Poles' mind. It's about finding the right players to build a team he thinks can compete for championships. The anonymous executive found it easy to criticize the Bears for not taking more exciting guys. He neglected to remember that the hit rate between the 53rd and 56th picks isn't high.

Of the 88 players selected between 2000 and 2021, only 14 made a Pro Bowl. Ryan Poles doesn't need those picks to become superstars to justify the Smith trade. He needs them to be, as the exec put it with such disdain, solid starters. That will make the Bears a better team. Let's also not forget the general consensus that 2023 is one of the weaker classes in recent memory. Everybody wants multiple difference-makers. The truth is the Bears GM likely knew his odds of finding them were low. So he opted for finding quality depth pieces with the upside to be good players.

All of this while stockpiling quality picks for next year.