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I really like this draft with exception of a WR in the 2nd. I'd much prefer another DL.

My best guess one week out: 1) Akheem Mesidor, DE, Miami - I believe he's falling due to age and I also believe Poles doesn't care. I think now that the Bears are at playoff team the goal is "get me grown men who can play now" and not "get me young guys who can develop (as you will see with my other picks. I would not have thought this pick was possible even a month ago but I think this is pretty possible now. 2a) Treydan Stukes, S, Arizona - Yes, another 25 year old. Has the speed and versatility the Bears defense appears to be looking for this offseason. 2b) DeZhaun Stribling, WR, Ole Miss - Came in for a Bears visit. Can play inside and outside and one of the better blocking WRs in the draft, which Ben will surely appreciate. Seems to be rising into this range, but maybe a trade down into the beginning of the third and picking up a 5th or something would work as well. 3) Logan Jones, C, Iowa - The third 25 year old - this probably won't happen but he seems to fit what the Bears want on the offensive line as far as combining movement skills with aggressive demeanor, and should be ready to challenge Bradbury right away or take over next year. 4) Charles Demmings, CB, Stephen F. Austin - This probably where you get another body at outside CB. I went back and forth between Demmings, who is fast but will have level of competition concerns, and Devin Moore from Florida, who might be more ready to play but has a concerning injury history, but I decided Moor was a little too much like Terrell Smith with the injuries. 7a) Aaron Graves, DT, Iowa - Just dart throws at this point, but Graves has played inside and outside and fits the Dennis Allen type. 7b) Cole Wisniewski, S, Texas, Tech - Even with an earlier safety, the Bears might need another body there as the depth is not great. Wisniewski is big and can play in the box in a safety/linebacker hybrid role.

As the draft approaches, we need to remember that there will be another wave of free agency and UDFAs plus some good free agents left. It's never the end of roster construction. Also I think some fans under estimate the value of existing players that could step up. Turner, Hyppolite, Dayo, Frazier a strong 2nd year out of Grady. Theo, Kiran, J Walker, R Johnson healthy, J Walker, Haskins, Nikola Kalinic. They have reasons some of those players have been kept around. I think we have coaches that can develop players.

You worded that much better than I did, totally agree. As far as LT, people talk about Proctor, and Lomu but both those would seem to need time to develop. Now if the top of the draft drops the they may be able to start day one, I get it. The biggest thing I need to do is trust the brass to make the right choices rather I think they're a good player or not. Like the rest of you, I think we need a mulitpler but would we settle for 3 or 4 above average players? A TJ Parker, 6-8 sacks? A S that could start immediately and contribute? A DT that becomes rotational day one? A CB that could grow into a starter in year 2? A future starting OC?

Stay put.

5% trade up 55% stay put 40% trade down

What are your odds round 1 for the 3 options below and no 33.3% Trade up Stay put Trade down

Amen to that!...

That's what I say, get a guy that will be a multiplier. Someone who scores, takes aways scores, or shuts down other teams best.

Absolutely, if they are difference maker. I'll even include RB and TE, if they can be utilized as weapons...

What I want to come out of the draft with and where I think we could get it: Starting-caliber DE - 1st to 2nd round, maybe third if you trade up/down to the beginning of the round and someone is sliding (Derrick Moore?). Starting Safety - 1st to 3rd round, maybe fourth if you trade up/down to the beginning of the round and someone is dropping (Bud Clark?). Guy would could push right away to start at #2 CB - 1st to 3rd round Center that could conceivably start next year and/or push Bradbury this year if he struggles - 2nd to 5th round, unless they see Newman as the future at C in which case you maybe need a backup guard in that same range WR who dresses and could start in a 3WR set if needed - 2nd to 5th round After that I don't much care. DT makes sense if you think there is a difference maker in the 1st/2nd, but much after that I'd just as soon play the three guys they signed, plus snaps for Shemar Turner there to go with Grady Jackson and Gervon Dexter returning. That seems to me like a solid, if potentially unspectacular, DT group, which is fine doing into a draft that's pretty unspectacular at DT IMO (which I theorize is precisely why they signed those DTs in free agency). OT - I've resigned myself to the fact that OT is a real first round possibility and I'm (grudgingly) OK with it, though I'd still be pretty surprised if it happens. Maybe you take a mid round guy with a lot of LT experience (Markel Bell, Jude Bowry, JC Davis, etc.) to give you one more crack at a LT, but you currently have Jones, Willis, Benedet, and Kiran (I still believe!) to battle for the LT position and you probably aren't going to do much better than that this year outside of the first round (I think that's why they signed Jones and Willis but we shall see). LB depth would be nice if you love a guy (I can't help but think Kyle Louis could be a target) but I'm pretty much good with the depth there. RB - If you like one and see it as a value pick, great, if not, I'm OK with what we have for now. TE - Same as RB.

My preferred approach as well except I’d be ok if BPA is a CB

I always look trenches first and move outward. 1st rd - I take the best pass rusher at edge, 3t and/or 1t. If I don't see difference maker there, I look to see if Safety is BPA. Continue this process through 4 rounds. Order of importance, for me, is DL, S, EDGE, LB and OL.

How I look at the roster: We need a starting S to play with Bryant. I would say maybe draft two. There are 5 that I judge are scheme friendly; Theinaman -Scott-Kilgore-Stukes-Clark. Several that could be starter quality Mc-Warren-Haulcy-Ramsey- Wheatley Edge rusher, we didn't add anyone here. I think Booker takes a step forward. Dayo comes back. Faulk)scheme fit but no production Parker) could be the pick Messidor) old but very productive Young) could be the pick Lawrence) sleeper bear pick Jacas) my favorite Moore) middle round pick Dennis-Sutton) very possible middle round pick Max Llewellyn) later round pick DT) McDonald) not a scheme fit IMO Woods) scheme fit but not a fan Miller) possible fit Halton) could be the guy Capehart) a low profile maybe Proctor) sleeper pick 8 Sacks 2025 Benny) scheme fit Durant) scheme fit These are the 3 biggest needs in my opinion. The 3 first picks go here IMO Of course they could draft a LT, LB, CB, WR, RB or C. What say you

Some pundits think we could draft a RB to replace Johnson as the third RB or grab one high and move Swift. Swift isn't going anywhere. After J. Love there isn't another first round rated RB as to be surprised by a Poles pick. I think we do late in the draft. We still have Brown and Haskins on the roster. Since they keep them around, could they be our third back? Haskins is 5'11" 226 at 4.53 speed. Brown is 6'1" 205 at 4.69 speed. I think Haskins could take Roshaun Johnson place as a power third back. Neither are a heavy load type back but could play a needed backup role. I think they draft a later round speed back to add to the mix. Several fit that profile.

On Gabriel's podcast today, he said that today is the last day for top 30 visits. That you can still do private visits not at the facility or zoom calls are allowed up to the day before the draft. On the private visits you are not allowed to workout or do medicals. I suspect the visits are more for medical and character reviews that come to Hallas Hall. You are not allowed to do field workouts during the top 30 visits either which I didn't know before.

I havent done the amount of film study I usually do this year, so I cant really agree or disagree with your critiques of Iheanchor. If or when I watch more film of him, I will definitely look for the things you mention, so thank you for that. I still think our first pick goes LT though, but I suppose Im making a generic statement about need, and not one driven by close evaluation. I also think unless Lomu is there, we'd like to trade down from 25 if there are any takers. Iheanchor (for example) could probably still be had a little lower, and the 2nd tier of Edge Rushers certainly can.

I understand being covered at LT with the questions on the team but who can come in and play day one? Ozzy will be back at some point and if a rookie needs time to develop it confuses 4 OTs in the room in the future. We need the value of that pick to start.

I’d gladly take Lomu. Iheanchor just looks too awkward (for lack of a better description) to play LT and he takes some really bad sets with his feet. He does that at RT and it won’t get better at LT. Proctor is just big powerful and stiff. Lomu on the other hand is a fluid athlete who can dance with the pass rushers. He doesnt have ideal length, but enough that he can make up for it with his feet. Downside is Lomu needs to get stronger and better in the run game but he still seems to anchor better than Braxton.

I think we will go LT with the 25th pick. Proctor, Lomu or Iheanchor are mostly likely in my opinion, depending on how the board falls. I think that Edge player comes in the second round. A Safety too.

I just don’t see the Peter Woods thing. At all. Setting aside the fact that the Bears added 3 DTs in FA and have Shemar coming back to join Dexter and Grady, “athletically talented underachiever” has essentially never been a Poles draft pick type. There’s no precedent for it, and my sense is that Dennis Allen and Ben Johnson have even less interest in that type than Poles. Five career sacks in college and I’m spending a first round pick to make you my 3T? Are you kidding?

Scott played several positions but most list at CB. I'm curious if Bann drops if any interested in him? Never really looked at him because he is generally a top 5 pick. It's hard to read Poles, he could surprise everyone and take a player constantly being projected to us, Peter Woods.

Passing this along as I ran across it today, on Poles’ search for players that fit DA’s defense. https://www.bleachernation.com/bears/2026/04/06/bears-gm-on-defense/ I am starting to think Meaidor is a real possibility. Poles singled him out in a recent interview with McShay. https://atozsports.com/nfl/chicago-bears-news/bears-ryan-poles-shares-his-true-feelings-on-akheem-mesidor-red-flag-age-2026-nfl-draft/ TJ Parker looks like the other decent first round pick fit at DE if they stay at 25. Keionte Scott looks like a reasonable second round pick target, though I’m a little hesitant to project a rookie changing positions to start at safety where the Bears kind of need an immediate starter.

When I analyze a prospect, I look at highlight film and 2 to 3 games. I read at as many profiles as I can find and form an opinion. I think but I don't know who will be great, good, or a bust. I will trust the bears scouting department. As far as Mc-Warren, the best I can tell is he is a Brisker clone. If they wanted that type of player, I think they would have resigned Brisker. Thieneman is the ideal pick and can play NB, SS and FS with speed of which I think DA wants. Mc-Warren doesn't have the flexibility or speed. There are a few other that fit that criteria, Keionte Scott, Treydan Stukes and Jalon Kilgore. None of them are first round picks. If they do Mc-Warren then they think he is draftable at 25 and I'm wrong. I think they drop back in the second round and first pick will be a DE . As far as the first round, does anyone think they would draft Messidor? His is 25 but he will add to the pass rush right away.

I think with McNeil-Warren, its his hard hitting that draws attention. I dont think that is the type of S Allen wants, so that would be a shock if taken. Dillion Thienemen would be the most ideal S after Caleb Downs, but odds are he goes to Minny.