What is Poles’ plan for the Bears heading into the draft?

Bears general manager Ryan Poles and assistant general manager Ian Cunningham met with reporters Tuesday at Halas Hall, two days before the start of the NFL draft.

There’s plenty of intrigue into how the Bears will use their draft capital this year. The team enters Thursday with seven draft picks, including four selections in the top 72. The Bears hold the No. 10 overall pick and Nos. 39, 41 and 72 in the first three rounds.

Here are four of the most interesting things Poles and Cunningham said ahead of the draft.

On Bears’ approach heading into draft

As of Tuesday afternoon, every team still had its original draft pick in the first round. Poles said that could change quickly in the next couple days leading up to the draft and once it starts.

“I feel really confident with where we’re at,” Poles said. “I think this one’s going to be a little wild, but we’re going to be prepared for all the different scenarios that could pop up.”

Poles and Cunningham said this year’s draft is deeper in certain positions compared to others. There are “clumps” of players similarly graded. Poles said the cutoff in talent comes quicker in most drafts, which could lead to trades throughout the draft.

Some analysts believe this draft’s depth could make it harder for teams to trade out of the top 10. Poles said that potentially could be true but added there were a lot of phone calls taking place between teams.

Poles could continue to address the offensive and defensive lines like he did earlier in the offseason. Or he could draft an offensive playmaker for new head coach Ben Johnson.

“Our philosophy is best-player available,” Cunningham said. “Yeah we weigh premium position versus non-premium position, but at the end of the day, it’s a playmaker. If you see him in that role, I think you can take a playmaker not in a premium position.”

On Johnson’s role in draft preparation

It became clear once the Bears hired Johnson that he would have a role in the team’s personnel decisions. That included the team’s approach in the draft.

Poles told reporters his staff and Johnson’s coaching staff have had good discussions making sure the scouting team knew what the coaches looked for at each position.

“I think it’s important to understand in terms of the scheme and how we’re building,” Poles said. “I think it’s gonna take time for figuring out what we’re going to be good at. But what we certainly want to have is to create an advantage for our team and get off to a fast start.”

The Bears are in a different situation with a new coaching staff. Scouts already had begun their draft process last fall with former head coach Matt Eberflus’ staff, trying to tailor to their needs.

Despite the coaching change, Cunningham said there’s been a lot of overlap in player evaluation. Defensive coordinator Dennis Allen, offensive coordinator Declan Doyle and their coaches met with the team’s scouting department to make sure everyone’s on the same page.

“That communication up front is super important,” Cunningham said. “It paints a picture for us so that we can go out and get the perfect players for them.”

On the left tackle position

One of the major questions heading into Thursday’s draft is whether Poles will continue to revamp the offensive line.

Poles traded for guards Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson and signed center Drew Dalman. Now Poles could continue with the tackle spots.

LSU’s Will Campbell, Missouri’s Armand Membou and Texas Kelvin Banks Jr. are all potential options at No. 10. Campbell and Banks primarily played left tackle while Membou mostly played right.

Darnell Wright has been the team’s starting right tackle since the team drafted him in the first round of the 2023 draft. But Poles was open to having the conversation of moving Wright to left tackle if the Bears drafted someone who mostly played right tackle. Wright split time at left and right tackle in college at Tennessee.

“We’ll see how everything goes,” Poles said. “He clearly has the ability to play left or right, you saw that in college. That was part of the value.”

The conversation could come after questions at left tackle continued last season. Starter Braxton Jones had ankle surgery toward the end of last season and could be limited at the start of training camp. Last year’s third-round pick, Kiran Amegadjie, missed most of last year but could compete for the spot with a healthy offseason.

Cunningham remained encouraged by each players’ potential and was glad to have them on the team.

“We have high hopes for both of those players,” Cunningham said.

On undrafted free agents

While many fans focus on the players who are drafted, Poles believes teams can find gems in players who weren’t.

TJ Edwards, whom the Bears honored Tuesday with the Brian Piccolo Award for a second straight season, is a good example of that. Edwards, a Lakes High School alumnus, went undrafted in 2019 before signing with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Since then, Edwards has become a dependable player in the league, earning a two-year extension with the Bears last week.

Poles believes there’s value to be found in undrafted free agents, especially with more players stay in college longer because of extra eligibility and Name, Image and Likeness deals.

“I think you’re going to see a lot more guys like that, guys that have been developed, stayed an extra year,” Poles said.