The Real Reason The Bears Defense Has Lagged Under Ryan Poles — And Why That’s Changing
Defense has long been the defining characteristic of success for the Chicago Bears, going back decades. Look at every great season the franchise has put together in the modern era, and you will find a top defense leading the way. It was true in 1985, again in 2006, 2010, and 2018. This year has been a major shift for Bears fans. For the first time in maybe ever, it’s been the Bears offense that has charted the course to a playoff berth. Chicago is 3rd in yards and 10th in points. Much of this is due to the arrival of head coach Ben Johnson, but also the work done by GM Ryan Poles.
Several key additions he’s made over the past couple of years are bearing fruit, headlined by Caleb Williams, Darnell Wright, Rome Odunze, Luther Burden, and Colston Loveland. People are left wondering why the defense has fallen behind. There are some obvious reasons, including some poor free agent investments, such as Al-Quadin Muhammad, Dayo Odeyingbo, and Grady Jarrett. However, there is a simpler explanation that many people haven’t acknowledged.
Poles has yet to invest a single 1st round pick in the defense across four off-seasons.
Ryan Poles has been focused on building a foundation for a quarterback.
In addition to selecting Williams, he also secured a bookend tackle, a playmaking receiver, and a dynamic tight end. It was a calculated decision, make no mistake. Poles understood that if he wanted to get this team established as a consistent playoff contender, he had to find a quarterback and surround him with help. That has finally been accomplished. Unfortunately, it left the Bears GM with a difficult challenge: to build a competitive defense with Day 2-3 picks, free agents, and trade acquisitions.
It wasn’t a complete failure. Montez Sweat, Gervon Dexter, Austin Booker, T.J. Edwards, Tremaine Edmunds, Jaquan Brisker, Kevin Byard, and Tyrique Stevenson have all had strong moments. The problem is that none of them are stars. If you look back at the greatest Bears defenses in the Super Bowl era, all of them were fueled by 1st round picks.
1985:
- Dan Hampton
- Otis Wilson
- Wilber Marshall
- William Perry
2006:
- Brian Urlacher
- Tommie Harris
2018:
- Kyle Fuller
- Leonard Floyd
- Roquan Smith
People say Ryan Poles can’t build a defense. A more accurate statement is that he hasn’t really tried yet. That is about to change. Chicago is all but guaranteed to use a 1st round pick on defense for the first time since 2018 next spring. This is good news, not just because the unit can use the help, but also because Poles’ track record in the 1st round is starting to look pretty good. All four of his picks to date have become highly productive. If he can land a hit on somebody of similar caliber to Wright or Loveland, the Bears defense will be in serious business.