Chicago Bears Get Major Praise For Day 3 Draft Work

Ryan Poles is not Ryan Pace. Nothing proved that to a greater degree than what happened on the third day of NFL draft action. Where Pace likely might've tried to move up from the 5th round to secure a player of choice, Poles did the exact opposite. After not picking in the 4th round, he traded down not once, not twice, but three times in the 5th. In doing so, he went from having three picks that afternoon to eight. Chicago Bears fans had no idea how to react to that. When the dust settled, Poles had added four offensive linemen, a pass rusher, a safety, a running back, and even a punter to the roster. The common theme with all of them was good athletes with solid work ethics and considerable upside. It was a clear message from Poles that he trusts the coaching ability of Matt Eberflus and his staff. More interesting is how the rest of the NFL world would react to the action.

At least one prominent expert was impressed.

Chad Reuter has been a primary draft guy for NFL.com going back years. He's among the most respected in the industry. His initial assessment of the Bears' draft after Day 2 resulted in a B+ grade. Things changed after watching what they did for a finale. Reuter gushed over Poles' working of the board and his ability to add considerable depth to his roster. The day drew a well-earned A grade in his mind.

"The offensive line was addressed on Day 3, with Thomas possessing the nasty streak and mobility to win the swing tackle spot as a rookie. Jones is a solid pass protector with nice length, and Carter is a potential sixth lineman. Ebner is an electric kick returner. Keeping the sturdy, experienced and athletic Kramer in Illinois will pay off when he starts early in his career."

That is high praise. He believes the Bears drastically improved their offensive line with three guys capable of being primary backups with starter potential. Then to say Doug Kramer, a 6th rounder, would be starting in the not-so-distant future is wild. It would also be a great story considering the kid grew up in Hinsdale and is a diehard Bears fan. Chicago would love nothing better.

Chicago Bears increased their bites at the apple.

People should get this in their heads right now. Most of the 11 prospects the Bears drafted probably aren't going to pan out. That is how it works. Poles increased the number of opportunities his team had to find a diamond in the rough. If he managed to find three or four long-term starters out of this group, the draft class should be an unqualified success. More than anything, it's the approach that is encouraging. By continually trading up and leaving the Chicago Bears with so few picks, Pace gave his team little margin for error. If his picks didn't pan out, it threatened to set them back in a major way. Sure enough, several of their higher choices proved disappointing, and there was no safety net in place. That forced the Bears to rely more and more on free agency, which never leads to good results.

Last season was the culmination of those failures.

Poles isn't going to fall into the same trap. He intends to build through the draft. That means homegrown talent. Yes, he'll miss on picks as everybody else does. The difference is he'll have a steady stream of young options coming up the pipeline to try again.