Bears writer reveals which receivers GM Ryan Poles liked during the draft process
Jeff Hughes of Da Bears blog reported on a very interesting subject yesterday. He mentioned the receivers that GM Ryan Poles was looking at the most.
As the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft rolled along, there were receivers available for the Chicago Bears. The Packers moved up � something Ryan Poles was NOT going to do � for Christian Watson. Many fans were calling for George Pickens, a player one scout called «a turd» during a text conversation with DBB. Many thought Skyy Moore's route running prowess could catapult him into the back end of round one, where several WR-needy clubs resided. It did not.
The truth is that while many were calling this draft deep at wide receiver, the Bears (and several other clubs) didn't particularly agree with that assessment. They rated Garrett Wilson, Jameson Williams, and Chris Olave highly, the latter being their top player at the position. They liked the polish of Jahan Dotson and thought Treylon Burks might have the highest upside in the class. But they knew they were not in play for any of those players, and saw the gap between that group and the next group as cavernous.
Poles, with significant input from Luke Getsy, turned his attention to Velus Jones Jr. � the rare third-round receiver this brass believes can make an immediate impact on the football team. Why? Because Jones fits a specific role in this offense and is already well-accomplished in that role. What is that role?
The truth is that while many were calling this draft deep at wide receiver, the Bears (and several other clubs) didn't particularly agree with that assessment. They rated Garrett Wilson, Jameson Williams, and Chris Olave highly, the latter being their top player at the position. They liked the polish of Jahan Dotson and thought Treylon Burks might have the highest upside in the class. But they knew they were not in play for any of those players, and saw the gap between that group and the next group as cavernous.
Poles, with significant input from Luke Getsy, turned his attention to Velus Jones Jr. � the rare third-round receiver this brass believes can make an immediate impact on the football team. Why? Because Jones fits a specific role in this offense and is already well-accomplished in that role. What is that role?
I find it very interesting that Poles had a true top 5 receivers and then he had a huge dropoff on his draft board. In fact, when the Bears were on the clock at pick 39, already 6 receivers had been taken. This means that Poles had the chance to select a top 3-4 corners or the 6th best WR. The choice was easy. He went with CB Kyler Gordon at 39 and double down on secondary with S Jaquan Brisker at 48.
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