After a whirlwind weekend, the 2024 NFL Draft is over. All the teams in the league, including the Chicago Bears, chose the prospects they felt could help strengthen the roster to win more games. Some teams did an excellent job of doing so. Count the Bears as one of them.
General Manager Ryan Poles made it his mission to change the franchise's fortunes on the offensive side of the ball. He revamped the unit, discarding both coaches and players. Then he added some very good players to replace them. He transformed an offense that ranked near the bottom for the better part of a decade into one that could possibly become the best in the league.
Now that the dust has settled on the 2024 NFL Draft, we take a look at what the Chicago Bears did and hand out grades.
Chicago Bears fans are now looking forward to the start of the season. That is true every season. However, this time they are looking forward to seeing a team that can compete for the NFC North title and possibly make some noise in the NFC playoffs. Whether they do it is still a question, but they do now have a legitimate shot.
Just as he has done since he became GM of the Bears, Poles had a vision of what he wanted for the offense. It does not matter if the fans, players, or others around the league understand that vision. He has not been shy about shipping out popular players. If they do not fit his vision they are gone.
So far, his vision has been solid. He tore down the roster and then built it back up. Last offseason, he mostly concentrated on defense. As the season progressed, the defense was one of the stingiest in the league. They were number one against the run, fifth in total turnovers, and number one in interception.
This offseason, Poles was offensive. He made trades and free agent signings that leaned heavily on the offense. That continued into the draft. He put the finishing touches on the offense and brought an excitement we have not seen in Chicago Bears Nation for quite some time.
Let's take a look at Poles' draft moves. Here are grades for every pick.