How The Montez Sweat Trade Tipped Off The Bears' Draft Plans

People blasted Ryan Poles when he chose to trade for defensive end Montez Sweat last month. His Chicago Bears team is 2-6. They have no business acquiring a veteran player at the deadline, much less for what will likely be a high 2nd round pick. The man has lost his mind. Then again, a closer inspection of the move suggests otherwise. Poles stated some reasoning behind the move was the realization that somebody of Sweat's caliber was unlikely to be available in the coming off-season. Free agency rarely sees players like him change teams. Poles felt the price tag was worth what the big edge rusher could bring to the table.

There is also another motivation involved. Poles all but signaled with this move that he is unlikely to select an edge rusher early in the 2024 draft. Current projections of the incoming class show a group with strength at the top, with five names considered potential 1st round picks. However, after that, there are only five names deemed worthy of going in the 2nd and 3rd rounds combined after that. In other words, experts don't see a deep group of edge rushers.

As of now, the Bears hold two top-5 picks next spring. None of the current edge rushers are viewed as strong enough prospects to go that high. Conversely, it's a different story at quarterback, wide receiver, and offensive tackle. By trading for a proven edge rusher now, Poles has given himself the green light to target two of those three positions with both 1st rounders.

Poles' objective seems pretty straightforward with Montez Sweat in place.

Most local insiders around the Bears have said the same thing. The GM will likely move on from Justin Fields after this season. There is still a chance the embattled quarterback saves himself, but it's not looking good. If Chicago ends up with a top-2 selection, everybody is convinced he will take a quarterback, be it Caleb Williams or Drake Maye. From there, the decision becomes easy. He can select a legitimate go-to receiver to pair with D.J. Moore, be it Marvin Harrison Jr. or Keon Coleman. Or he can grab a franchise left tackle like Olu Fashanu, Joe Alt, or JC Latham.

He can do this knowing he already gave the defense some help at the edge with Montez Sweat. It is honestly a good plan. Much of it still depends on where the Bears end up picking. If they or the Panthers go on unexpected win streaks, it could alter plans thanks to lower selections. Still, the signs are pretty clear. Poles sees the 2024 class at its strongest from the offensive side of the ball. His goal with the Sweat trade was to ensure he didn't ignore getting the defense some much-needed support at a vital position.