You Won't Believe Ryan Poles' Creative Way To Mentally Test Draft Prospects

GM Ryan Poles understands one of the biggest challenges when drafting is not measuring a player's physical skills. That is easy. Extensive tape evaluation and athletic drills at the scouting combine or pro days provide all the necessary information. By far, the more challenging aspect is getting in these young men's heads. The mind is what separates great players from everybody else. That is why the Chicago Bears have stated several times that they're focused on kids who love the game. They want competitors.

Gauging such a mentality isn't easy. Most teams try to do this through various interview questions, hoping a psychological approach might unearth what they're looking for or might've missed. Poles appears to have opted for a more unconventional strategy. He talked about it during an interview with Peter Schrager of NFL Network. Rather than pepper these kids with questions immediately, the Bears ease them in by playing miniature golf or darts with them. It's meant to help them relax before getting into football-related matters, but it also helps to measure how competitive they are.

If these kids can get amped up over a simple game of putt-putt or darts, there won't be any concerns about if they take football seriously.

Credit Ryan Poles for trying something different.

He knows these kids are going through several meetings every day with other teams. It can be easy to zone out after a while of answering the same questions. The Bears GM wanted to make sure he had their attention. This is a clever method to get it. One can only hope the organization will provide behind-the-scenes clips of those golf or darts showdowns. Maybe somebody they end up drafting made a strong impression. Either way, it's another reminder of how detailed this new regime is.

The next few days will be critical for Ryan Poles. He has to make sure his evaluations match the data collected at the combine. Then the time will come to start piecing the Bears' draft board together. Much of this process hinges on whether they trade the #1 overall pick. Current odds favor that happening. If so, they'll have to determine how far they drop and which players will be available. There are always lots of risks involved with moving down. He must be prepared.