Analysis: Where GM Ryan Poles, Bears stand after the draft

The Sun-Times’ Patrick Finley breaks down the state of the Bears on the heels of the draft:

Have the Bears done enough to help Justin Fields this offseason?

Noooooooooooooooooope. But that was more a failing of free agency than the draft, where the Bears have known for a year that they wouldn’t have a first-round pick. It’s essential that the Bears build a functional offense around Fields simply so they can evaluate him in 2022. They better hope they can find a veteran offensive lineman between now and Week 1.

Which of the Bears’ Day 2 picks will have the biggest impact this season?

Third-round pick Velus Jones, who figures to return kicks and punts from Day 1 and give the offense a burst of speed. He’s not an every-down receiver, but new offensive coordinator Luke Getsy will find ways to get him the ball in space.

If not Kyler Gordon, who would you have taken at No. 39 overall?

David Ojabo. The edge rusher was a first-round pick before tearing his Achilles tendon at Michigan’s pro day. The Bears, who are eating dead cap space this season with eyes on 2023, would have been the perfect landing spot for his redshirt season, with hopes he’s a star once he gets healthy.

I like this addition:

Getsy. It took the Bears almost 100 years to discover the forward pass. When they found it, it was fleeting — Marc Trestman’s offense dominated for a season, and he was fired 13 months later. Getsy gives the Bears a chance to meld a modern passing attack with a dangerous run game. Then again, so did Matt Nagy.

What is the biggest need that remains unresolved?

Wide receiver. Poles said at the NFL Scouting Combine that the second-year quarterbacks who make the biggest leaps have receivers they can trust. He then added Byron Pringle (who was arrested a week-and-a-half ago), Equanimeous St. Brown, David Moore and Jones. That’s not enough.

Which veteran should be worried about his roster spot?

Nick Foles was the obvious answer — and then the Bears agreed to release him Saturday night. I’ll be interested to see if teams pursue defensive end Robert Quinn, though draft weekend would have been the ideal time to do it.

What do we know about Ryan Poles thus far?

He’s a realist — and what he sees is an overhaul that will take more than one season. As much as he hemmed and hawed when asked about rebuilding last week, Poles came out and said it Friday night: “We can’t fix everything in one year.”

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