ESPN draft insider Matt Miller raised an interesting topic of discussion in a recent column. He asked various scouts and personnel men around the NFL what draft this incoming class most closely mirrors. Two came up the most: 2015 and 2016, the latter more often because it feels like a two-QB class at the top with tons of value in the trenches after that. This seems rather poetic for the Chicago Bears since those two drafts set the tone for the Ryan Pace era when he took over as GM. It will now be Ryan Poles' shot at redeeming one of the team's biggest draft mistakes of the past decade.
Is there a recent class comp for the 2025 group?...
...The 2015 draft featured Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota as the first two picks, but five future Pro Bowlers were drafted in the top 10. That comparison might be too pessimistic, however.
The 2016 draft might be the best comp. Quarterbacks Jared Goff and Carson Wentz came off the board at the top, but the rest of the top 10 was dominated by the trenches with Joey Bosa (No. 3), Ronnie Stanley (No. 6), DeForest Buckner (No. 7), Jack Conklin (No. 8) and Leonard Floyd (No. 9). The 2016 class also featured a star running back drafted high (Ezekiel Elliott at No. 4), which could be mirrored in this draft if Jeanty goes in the top 10.
People don't view the 2016 class as a total failure because Floyd wasn't an outright bust. He became a good player, even if it was mostly for other teams. No, Pace's great failure was not recognizing where the true opportunity was. By taking Floyd, the Bears GM had passed on the opportunity to draft one of three outstanding offensive linemen: Laremy Tunsil, Taylor Decker, and Ryan Kelly. Tunsil is a five-time Pro Bowler. Decker anchors the elite Detroit Lions offensive line, and Kelly is a four-time Pro Bowl center.
Ryan Poles can't take his eye off the ball.
His offensive line just gave up 68 sacks last season. It's always fun to chase the next great pass rusher, but the quarterback's safety and security are infinitely more important. Ryan Poles has a chance to become the first GM in 14 years to put two 1st round picks on the same line together. Darnell Wright is already developing into a quality starter. One more strong push in this draft can set the offensive line up for stability it hasn't seen since at least the mid-2000s. There are always methods for finding pass rush help. Poles should know this. His two best options on the roster were acquired for 2nd round picks. Great blocking is typically built in the 1st round. Pace never understood that. Hopefully Poles doesn't fall into that same trap.
