There were no signs that the NFL draft wasn’t going according to plan for the Chicago Bears through the first two days. They added two outstanding playmakers on offense, a promising offensive tackle, and a violent interior pass rusher. Lots of boxes were checked. However, there was one pressing concern among fans. Where was the running back? It had been apparent that the team needed a complement to D’Andre Swift in the backfield for months. Yet nothing happened during the first two days. Then day three arrived, and things entered full crisis mode. The 4th round, 5th round, and 6th round all passed without a move at the position. Not until the 7th did they finally strike with Rutgers standout Kyle Monangai. What the hell happened? Ryan Poles had an answer.
The Bears GM was asked about the puzzling silence at running back despite such a strong class. He made a surprising admission. It had been speculated throughout the action that certain players the Bears wanted kept getting selected before they picked, forcing the team to look at other positions. Poles stated the board wasn’t cooperating. Rather than reach at the position, the Bears were forced to improvise, either by trading down or taking a player of high value on their board.
Ryan Poles ran into simple bad luck.
Two instances stood out to explain what happened. In the second round, Chicago was picking 39th overall. At #36 and #38, teams selected running backs. Cleveland took Quinshon Judkins, and New England took TreVeyon Henderson. It was rumored the Bears coveted Henderson. Rather than force the issue, Poles pivoted to Missouri wide receiver Luther Burden, one of the draft’s best wide receivers. Then in the 4th round, it happened again. Chicago picked 109th. Running back Bhayshul Tuten went 104th to Jacksonville, and Cam Skattebo went 105th to the Giants.
This time, Ryan Poles traded down with Buffalo to secure extra picks. Four more running backs were gone by the time they were on the clock again. This is a perfect example of when they talk about the board not cooperating. The Bears had plenty of targets in mind, but other teams just got there first. It happens some years. Give Poles credit for being honest about it. He could’ve been aggressive. Then again, this wasn’t the sort of draft that warranted such a move. Besides, running backs are far easier to find than other positions.
Subscribe to the BFR Youtube channel and ride shotgun with Dave and Ficky as they break down Bears football like nobody else.
Perhaps opportunities to improve will pop up down the line.
