Chicago Bears (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
It is a much more exciting time to be a Chicago Bears fan in 2022 than it was a year ago. Going into the 2021 offseason and draft time, the Bears still had one gigantic question mark — quarterback.
This year, the Bears have that question answered. It’s Justin Fields’ team moving forward, and everything they do will revolve around developing his talent and surrounding him with the right guys.
New general manager Ryan Poles seems to be the right man for the job, and he understands how to surround a young quarterback with talent. Coming from Kansas City and helping in drafting Patrick Mahomes, Poles’ reputation is already strong.
Now, it’s about finding Fields some protection and playmakers of his own. That starts in the 2022 NFL Draft.
With limited capital in the 2022 NFL Draft, the Chicago Bears may have to get creative.
One of Poles’ offseason obstacles will be trying to acquire additional draft picks. The Bears only have two picks in the first four rounds of this year’s draft.
Remember, giving up the other two picks should be well-worth it — those went to acquire Fields in last year’s draft. But, now, Poles has more work to do. Trading future capital can always be on the table, too, as you continue to re-work future problems when the time comes.
If Poles can execute a trade and find the Bears one more pick in the top four rounds, they should be in good shape. Free agency will be a big teller of just where the Bears go in the draft, but having that one additional pick will be extremely valuable.
In this mock, Poles finds a way to make that happen.