Huge QB Bombshell May Save Ryan Poles And Bears' Draft Plans

When the NFL draft kicks off on April 24th, Ryan Poles and the Chicago Bears will be at the mercy of nine other teams. If they want to land one of their most coveted players, they need some unexpected events to take place. Given the recent projections, it wasn't looking good for them. The biggest issue was a growing possibility that only one quarterback would go in that stretch. However, an unexpected update has completely flipped the script. Multiple reports revealed that former Pro Bowl quarterback Derek Carr is dealing with a shoulder injury severe enough to threaten his availability in 2025.

If that is true, there is almost no way the New Orleans Saints can justify passing on a quarterback with the #9 overall pick. Their only other option is Spencer Rattler, who didn't show anything last year to suggest he has a high ceiling in the long term. The Saints may have no choice but to take either Shedeur Sanders or Jaxson Dart at #9 to ensure they have a future at the position. This would virtually guarantee at least one of the desired names in this class will slip to Chicago at #10.

Ryan Poles should have at least one guy he likes on the board now.

The big fear was that every top non-QB option would be gone by #10, forcing the Bears to pick from names like Omarion Hampton, Mykel Williams, Kelvin Banks, and others who aren't viewed as top 10 options. If the Saints go for the quarterback, it all but guarantees one of three or four names will slip through to the Bears, including Will Campbell, Armand Membou, Ashton Jeanty, and Tyler Warren. Any of them would suit the needs of Ryan Poles and head coach Ben Johnson. The timing of this couldn't be better. While unfortunate for Carr, it cleans up the picture considerably for the Bears. Maybe New Orleans still doesn't draft a quarterback. Their GM, Mickey Loomis, never has done so in the 1st round. Still, it feels like they have no choice this time.