Ryan Poles' Draft Strategy Is Starting To Resemble A Bears Legend

Ryan Poles has finally begun to show the type of general manager he is after completing his second off-season in charge. One thing that has become abundantly clear is he places a high emphasis on players with elite athletic traits. Players must meet certain size and speed thresholds at their respective positions before the Chicago Bears consider signing or drafting them. That isn't a bad thing. It isn't a coincidence that teams loaded with the best athletes often have the most success in most professional sports.

Perhaps what stands out the most about Poles is his approach to the NFL draft. It appears he has a clear strategy, and it goes back to what he said about targeting "premium" positions. Through his first two years, Poles has now selected two linemen and three defensive backs in the 1st and 2nd rounds. No other position groups have gotten a sniff. It's trenches and secondary all the way. What makes that so interesting is it reflects a strategy embraced by the best Bears GM of the modern era, Jim Finks.

In his nine years running their front office, he made 16 picks in the 1st and 2nd rounds. No fewer than nine of them were linemen or defensive backs.

Ryan Poles might be onto something.

Finks' approach yielded terrific results. Six of those nine players were members of the 1985 Super Bowl champion team. Two ended up in the Hall of Fame. The former GM demonstrated a clear understanding of football, both of where it was and where it was heading. Finks saw quarterbacks starting to take over the league. So he knew the best way to combat them was with a strong defensive line and a talented secondary. He applied that same logic to his own quarterback situation, continually investing in top offensive linemen as well.

It appears Ryan Poles operates on a similar wavelength. If that continues to be the case, Bears fans should be excited about the future. Finks' efforts made this organization a constant contender in the 1980s. It is rather surprising subsequent GMs haven't tried to follow his blueprint since his departure. Either way, the Bears already appear deeper and more talented in the trenches and the secondary. If Poles holds to this strategy, they could be among the NFL's best in both areas by 2024. That is when the wins should start piling up.