Jury still out: Rating Ryan Poles' first three draft classes

With eight of Ryan Poles' own draft picks starting to open the 2024 season (plus punter Tory Taylor), the Bears went 5-12, with a dreadful 10-game losing streak started by a brain-cramp from one of those draft picks — cornerback Tyrique Stevenson, a 2023 second-round pick who has been a starter since Week 1 of his rookie season.

Stevenson isn't the most prominent of Poles' draft picks, but he typifies the undefined state of Poles' collective draft picks. He's already a two-year starter who has shown flashes of developing into the edgy, aggressive, tone-setting defensive back who adds an element of intimidation in an NFL secondary.

But he's also mistake-prone and too often pays a price for that edginess and aggressiveness. The Hail Mary debacle against the Commanders — when Stevenson was exhorting and engaging with the crowd with his back to the play, then tried to make a play on the Hail Mary instead of doing his job and covering Noah Brown in the end zone — was the most obvious example. Stevenson had five penalties on defense last season, but also had two interceptions and 21 pass break-ups — including a 43-yard pick-6 with the Bears down by a point in the fourth quarter that gave them a 24-17 victory over the Titans in the opener last season.

Stevenson arguably is trending more up than down, but heading into Year 3 he's firmly in the jury-still-out category as a Poles draft pick. And he's not alone. Quarterback Caleb Williams obviously is at the top of the list. But of Poles' seven first- and second-round draft picks, only cornerback Kyler Gordon and right tackle Darnell Wright clearly have a foot in the "hit" category. Everyone else either has a lot to prove, either by taking a significant step on the field (defensive tackle Gervon Dexter), staying on the field (safety Jaquan Brisker) or both (left tackle Braxton Jones).

Poles' collective draft classes have been overall unimpressive, but with a potential star quarterback whose own development can make every other player better, Poles' draft ledger can change a lot in the next nine months. Here's a look at how they rank heading into 2025:

1. Caleb Williams, QB (2024, 1-1) — He's more "assembly required" than "plug-and-play" than many people thought, but he still gets the top spot because he's the main reason Ben Johnson wanted this job. And Johnson and Williams give the Bears two chances for an exponential "multiplier" that makes every draft pick a chance max out.

   
   
   
   

   

   
   
   
   

2. Kyler Gordon, CB (2022, 2-39) — When you notice the slot corner in any defense, you know you've got something. When you notice the slot corner when he has no interceptions, you know you've got something. When you notice the slot corner in a defense that faded like the Bears' did last year, you know you've got something.

   
   

3. Darnell Wright, OT (2023, 1-10) — Took a step forward in his second season that established a passable long-term floor for the 10th overall pick of a draft — Wright ranked 16th among NFL offensive tackles by Pro Football Focus last year. The next step needs to be a big one to keep the Jalen Carter wolves at bay, but with a fortified offensive line and Johnson running the show, Wright has the tools to benefit more than most.

   
   

   

   
   
   
   

4. Jaquan Brisker, S (2022, 2-48) — A player and a voice the Bears missed more than they knew when Brisker suffered a concussion in Week 5 against the Panthers. With Brisker, the Bears' defense was fifth in points allowed, seventh in yards allowed and sixth in passing yards allowed. Without him, they were 18th in points, 25th in yards and 25th in passing yards. There were other factors involved in that demise, but Brisker's absence was a significant one.

   
   

5. Rome Odunze, WR (2024, 1-9) — While Odunze did not have an overwhelming rookie season (54 receptions, 734 yards, 13.6 per catch, three touchdowns), he flashed enough difference-making potential in a bad offense to reasonably argue that if Ben Johnson's offense can make a star out of Amon-Ra St. Brown, it can do the same (or similar) for Rome Odunze.

   
   

   

   
   
   
   

6. Braxton Jones, OT (2022, 5-168) — He's been good for a fifth-round draft pick in his three seasons as a starter. But now he'll have to be good by any NFL standard to keep his job. Staying healthy is the first order of business — after playing every snap as a rookie, Jones has missed 11 games (plus significant portions of two others) over the past two seasons.

   
   

   

   
   
   
   

7. Tyrique Stevenson, CB (2023, 2-56) — He's a fine-line player that coaches like Pete Carroll win with but might be a liability with somebody else. You have to think a guy like new secondary coach Al Harris — a guy who knows the importance of channeling his aggressiveness — can get the most out of a player as talented as Stevenson.

   
   

8. Gervon Dexter, DT (2023, 2-53) — His biggest detriment is that he's not Jalen Carter. Dexter's ceiling might not be as high as the Bears thought it was when they drafted him. But he showed improvement last season and with his athleticism still has the capability of a "breakout" season. That's the classic tease of a player like Dexter, but he's better than a boom-or-bust guy.

   
   

9. Terell Smith, CB (2023, 5-165) — A worthy challenger to Stevenson for most of his first two seasons, Smith was lost in the shuffle at the end of the season — playing zero defensive snaps in Weeks 16-17 before making plays in the upset of the Packers. He seems like a good fit for Dennis Allen's defense.

   
   

10. Roschon Johnson, RB (2023, 4-115) — He hasn't quite blossomed in the NFL after playing a secondary role at Texas with Bijan Robinson, but then again, he's playing a secondary role in the NFL, too — never more than 10 carries in any game. He was 6-for-6 scoring touchdowns from the 1-yard line last season. That seems like something Ben Johnson can work with.

    
    

11. Kiran Amegadjie, OL (2024, 3-75) — One of 10 offensive linemen chosen in the first 22 picks in the third round last year (including 49ers starting RG Dominic Puni at No. 86), Amegadjie struggled in his only start against the Vikings. For now, his late start as an NFL rookie because of a quad injury at Yale in 2023 is valid. But the draft could tell just how much faith Ryan Poles has in his third-round pick.

    
    

12. Tory Taylor, P (2024, 4-122) — He was an upgrade from 2022 seventh-round pick Trenton Gill — Taylor's 47.7 gross average was 14th in the NFL, his 41.6 net average was 19th and his 34 punts inside the 20 was tied for fourth. But he also punted 82 times — second most in the league ... after Williams kiddingly told him "you're not going to punt much here" in a draft-night text. Still a long way to go to disprove the "too cute" narrative of this pick.

    
    

13. Elijah Hicks, S (2022, 7-254) — A willing special-teams contributor who has been effective on defense in a pinch, Hicks did not fare as well in a regular role after Brisker's injury — only intermittently productive. Still a quality reserve as a seventh-round pick.

    
    

14. Tyler Scott, WR (2023, 4-133) — He had 20 snaps on offense and just one reception for five yards in his second season after getting 439 snaps (four starts) and 17 receptions for 168 yards as a rookie. This is likely his last shot, but the Ben Johnson Factor gives unproven offensive players a better chance to prove themselves.

    
    

15. Austin Booker, DE (2024, 5-144) — Despite some early enthusiasm that he cold be productive in a top-10 defense, Booker turned out to be every bit of the raw project he was drafted as. He's still intriguing, but it remains to be seen if he gets the opportunity he needs.

    
    

16. Noah Sewell, LB (2023, 5-148) — He's played only 32 defensive snaps in two seasons, and there's not much room for him to make an impact. But he's Penei Sewell's brother, so there's probably untapped potential here.

    
    

17. Doug Kramer, C (2022, 6-207) — Momentarily helped solve the Bears' issue inside the 5-yard line as an extra blocker, but even that fell apart, with a botched handoff against the Commanders and an illegal substitution penalty against the Vikings.

    
    

18. Dominique Robinson, DE (2022, 5-174) — An intriguing athlete as a former quarterback and wide receiver who had only played one season on defense, Robinson had 1 1/2 sacks in his first NFL game. But he's had just a half-sack in 848 defensive snaps since and likely will not get a great chance to prove himself worthy of a better chance if he makes it to training camp.

    
    

19. Zacch Pickens, DT (2023, 3-64) — Did not make much of an impact in decent playing time last year (40%, in nine games — three starts) and now appears on the fringe heading into training camp. Rams have gotten much more out of Kobie Turner (3-89 in 2023).

    
    

20. Trestan Ebner, RB (2022, 6-203) — Played on special teams as a rookie, with 85 snaps on offense (24 carries, 54 yards, no touchdowns) and was cut at the end of training camp in 2023.

    
    

21. Zachary Thomas, OL (2022, 6-186) — Spent most of his rookie season on the practice squad before he was signed by the Rams in Week 11. He played in 14 games with the Patriots and Texans last season.

    
    

22. Trenton Gill, P (2022, 7-255) — In two seasons as the Bears' punter, Gill ranked 23rd/26th in gross average, 27th/32nd in net average and 24th/T27th in punts inside the 20. The Bears drafted Tory Taylor in the fourth round last year to replace him. He averaged 43.3 gross yards and 38.9 net yards per punt in eight games with the Buccaneers in 2024.

    
    

23. Travis Bell, DT (2023, 7-218) — The Bears thought they might have a sleeper in the defensive tackle from tiny Kennesaw State, and he showed promise in training camp as a rookie and was signed off the Bears' practice squad by the Falcons. Re-signed with the Bears to their practice squad in Week 4 last year but cut again three weeks later. He's currently on the Vikings' roster.

    
    

24. Ja'Tyre Carter, OL (2022, 7-226) — Started two games in his second season (2023), but was ineffective and was cut at the end of training camp last season. Currently on the Panthers' roster.

    
    

25. Kendall Williamson, S (2023, 7-258) — Spent his rookie season on the practice squad and was signed by the Bills in January of 2024. Has played in two NFL games with the Chargers.

    
    

26. Velus Jones, WR (2022, 3-71) — This looked like a risk from the moment he was drafted No. 71 overall after being projected to go in the fourth to sixth round. A tantalizing talent at 6-foot, 200 pounds with 4.31 speed in the 40, Jones had moments as a kick returner (63, 55 yards) and rushed for a 42-yard touchdown as a rookie. But he made too many glaring mistakes — two muffed punts, a fumble on offense and a dropped touchdown pass. Given a final chance in 2024, he muffed the first kickoff return of the season. An engaging, confident and likable player, Jones seemed a bit star-crossed — no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't avoid trouble.