Ryan Poles has developed certain habits in his first three years as the Chicago Bears GM. One that stands out is his preference for targeting players with regional roots. T.J. Edwards, Cole Kmet, and Jack Sanborn are some examples. He seems to believe that adding such players will lead to them giving that extra effort in practice and games, getting the chance to play for the team they grew up watching. One can't argue with the approach. Edwards has been excellent since arriving two years ago. Kmet is quite good as well whenever he's used.
It isn't a stretch to think Poles might have a name or two in the upcoming 2025 draft who fit a similar profile. Sure enough, one just popped up courtesy of Justin Melo of The Draft Network. He interviewed Indiana defensive tackle CJ West about the draft. When asked about which teams seemed to show the most interest in him, two came to mind. Both are from the same division.
"The Detroit Lions were a standout meeting. I had a very good meeting with the Chicago Bears. They’re my hometown team. Talking to the Bears, that was a great meeting. I spent quite a bit of time with the Green Bay Packers. We talked a decent amount."
The Chicago Bears' interest in West goes beyond his local ties.
Though from the city itself, he established himself as a workhorse in the middle, first at Kent State and then at Indiana last year. His efforts helped the Hoosiers reach the College Football Playoffs. He piled up nine sacks and 27 tackles for a loss in that span. Draft experts see him as an agile big man who has good awareness for finding the football and making plays in the backfield. His relatively low sack production is attributed either to his lack of lower-body strength or to how his coaches used him. He wasn't always allowed to attack up the field. That would likely change under Dennis Allen as the new Chicago Bears defensive coordinator. Expectations are West will go somewhere on day three of the draft. He could be a good depth option in an area the Bears need.
