Former Bears Exec Reveals Who Ryan Poles Likely Targets In 1st Round

Rick Spielman knows the Chicago Bears organization well. He worked with them extensively as a scout and executive in the 1990s. Then he went against them for years as the GM of the Minnesota Vikings. He was familiar with how they operated and what they're trying to build under new GM Ryan Poles and head coach Matt Eberflus. During an interview with Football Night in Chicago, Spielman made a few things clear. He reiterated the Bears should stick with Justin Fields. Don't even consider trading him in favor of these 2023 draft quarterbacks. His ceiling is far higher than any of them.

To Spielman, the decision on what to do with the #1 overall pick is straightforward. If it were him, he'd trade down. The Bears' roster needs a ton of work. That can be helped with the many additional picks they'd get by moving down with a quarterback-needy team. However, Spielman believes the answer isn't complicated if forced to make the pick. It should be Jalen Carter. There are two reasons. One is because true three-technique interior pass rushers are hard to find. Carter has the skillset ideally suited for it. The other is this draft class is deep in edge rushers, so the pressure to take somebody like Will Anderson isn't too high.

Ryan Poles' background also leans into this prediction.

He, too, understands the value of a dominant interior rusher. Look at what Chris Jones has done for the Kansas City Chiefs since arriving years ago. His presence has been almost as crucial to their dominance of the AFC as the arrival of Patrick Mahomes. Cincinnati had no answers for him in the conference championship game. Eberflus knows this too. He saw DeForest Buckner drive his defenses in Indianapolis for two years. Unless Carter's personality turns them off during interviews, it would be a shock if they don't see him as a perfect addition to their defense.

Of course, trading down would likely force them to change their plans. It feels unlikely Carter gets out of the top three. Arizona at #3 feels like an obvious spot for him to land. If Ryan Poles decides to drop outside the top five in a trade, he may start looking at edge rushers like Tyree Wilson or an offensive tackle like Paris Johnson. His belief in such players will determine whether or not he is willing to pass on a talent like Carter.