Ryan Poles Hints Why Bears 2023 Rookie Class Will Excel Immediately

There is never any predicting of how a rookie class will perform from year to year in the NFL. Some don't make much of an impact at all. Others are productive right out of the gate. The Chicago Bears have seen both sides of the coin. Their 2020 class was an instant hit, with guys like Jaylon Johnson and Darnell Mooney contributing immediately.

Meanwhile, their 2014 class was quiet that first year. One thing is clear. It is usually a good sign when rookies can excel in the NFL right out of the gate. GM Ryan Poles certainly hopes that will be the case this year.

He has confidence in the 2023 class he's put together. It includes ten draft picks led by 1st rounder Darnell Wright and 2nd rounders Gervon Dexter and Tyrique Stevenson. If the Bears want to climb out of the cellar this season, those young men will be leading the charge. It's too early to know for sure if any of them or others will step up. However, Poles got what he felt was a good indication of positive momentum for this group. He explained it to head coach Matt Eberflus during the first practices of rookie minicamps on 1920 Football Drive.

It was the fact every player showed up in great shape.

Ryan Poles knows the first step to immediate success.

Many great coaches and former players have said it. To thrive in the NFL, you must be in the best condition. You aren't succeeding at anything in this league if you're out of shape. Poles understands from experience. Players who show up to camps in such a state never see the field, and if they do, they aren't there for long. Eberflus is not the sort of coach that will give players many opportunities if they're not ready to work hard. It is a testament to the Bears' pre-draft work that they collected a bunch of young players that understand this reality.

Good athletes that are willing to work really hard. That is what Eberflus said he wanted when he first took over the Bears last year. Ryan Poles deserves credit for adhering to those requirements. It sounds like every draft pick fits the description. The next step is teaching them how to be professionals. The law of averages says most of them won't be able to make the transition. That isn't a disaster. It's reality. If the Bears can get two or three of them to develop into solid starters, it will be considered a productive class.