Ryan Poles is just four days from his second draft as Chicago Bears general manager. The three-day event is crucial for the Bears as they continue rebuilding their roster, starting with the No. 9 pick.
As Thursday night’s first round approaches, our team of writers weighs in on four key topics.
Brad Biggs: Intriguing — if he’s on the board.
That likely would mean a handful of teams ahead of them removed the Georgia defensive tackle from their board. Personnel men have said all along that based on tape, Carter is potentially the most dominant player in the draft. They also have said it’s easy to see the difference between plays where Carter is at 100% and when he’s, in essence, taking plays off. As one former GM told me, throw on tape of the elite interior linemen in the NFL today and you don’t have to look too hard for examples of them not necessarily playing at maximum effort. But this is a question the Bears — and other teams — will have to work through with Carter, especially with coach Matt Eberflus preaching his HITS principle nonstop. Carter — when he’s on — can be a game-wrecker and he plays a pivotal position in Eberflus’ scheme at which the Bears don’t have a building block for the future. Then there are the makeup and character questions surrounding Carter that are well-documented. If the Bears got satisfactory answers to the questions they had for Carter when he visited, the pick could make a lot of sense and the Bears could suddenly have an impact player on their line. I think there is a decent chance a team in front of the Bears scoops Carter up. If not, maybe a couple of snubs would be a tremendous motivation for Carter as he begins his professional career at Halas Hall.
Colleen Kane: Intriguing.
But I’m not sure the Bears even will have that chance. The further we get from that stunning morning at the NFL combine when arrest warrants were issued for Carter, the more it seems likely a team in the top eight will draft the Georgia defensive tackle. Teams deciding whether they will draft Carter have major concerns to consider after he pleaded no contest to charges of reckless driving and racing in relation to a car crash that killed a Georgia teammate and staffer. (Carter was not driving the car that crashed.) But with that legal matter behind him, my guess is a team ahead of the Bears is going to deem it worth the risk to scoop up a player of his football talents. If Carter does drop to No. 9? Drafting him has to be a major consideration. Poles noted last month that he has to think about how bringing in a player with character concerns will affect a young locker room. It will depend on how much Carter calmed those concerns on his visit to Halas Hall on April 4.
Dan Wiederer: Intriguing at the very least.
How could it not be? If the draft had been held Jan. 10 and the Bears weren’t allowed to trade out of the No. 1 slot, there’s a chance they would have selected Carter on the spot with little hesitation. His on-field talent is just that impressive, and he would fill a big hole at a critical position in Matt Eberflus’ defense. The Bears trade-down to No. 9 netted them receiver DJ Moore plus three additional picks over the next three drafts. And now? Here in draft week, there’s still the prospect of them uniting with Carter? Yes, there are legal issues the Bears have been sorting through and character questions they’ve been trying to get answered. Discussions about trust and reliability have been constant at Halas Hall. Going all-in on Carter would come with an elevated level of acknowledged risk. But then there’s also that possibility of the high-end reward with Carter seen by most talent evaluators as an elite playmaker, a true game-wrecker and maybe the most dominant prospect in this draft class.
Biggs: Predictable.
It’s a primary discussion for players being considered as left tackles in the first round but it’s only one part of the conversation. Ideally teams seek offensive tackles with 34-inch arms. Plenty of elite tackles played with shorter arms. Joe Thomas’ arms were 33¾ inches. Joe Staley’s were 33½ inches. Jason Peters, who played left tackle for the Bears for much of the 2021 season, has 33½-inch arms. More important is how the tackle uses his arms and what type of footwork and lateral quickness he possesses. Skoronski measured 32¼ inches at the scouting combine, shorter than his former Northwestern teammate Rashawn Slater (33). Some thought Slater was destined to be a guard because of his arm length. He has solidified himself at left tackle for the Los Angeles Chargers. There are no questions about whether Skoronski will be a successful NFL player. I think the team selecting him can try him out wherever their greatest need is on the line. If it’s at a tackle, see how he fares. If the arm length is an issue, kick him inside. If the team’s greatest need is at guard, play him there. It seems a little crazy to be talking about a difference of an inch or 1½ inches, but how many plays in an NFL game are decided by a matter of inches?
Kane: Valid.
I’ll start with Skoronski’s answer to a question at the NFL combine about his arm length after the measurement came out to 32¼ inches. “It’s pretty irrelevant,” he said. “Some of my issues that have been chalked up to arm length are really just technical things I can work on and try to fix.” The discussion of whether Skoronski’s arm length will affect his ability to play offensive tackle in the NFL is worth having, especially since the Maine South and Northwestern product is projected as a top-10 pick. Skoronski will be going up against big, long defenders in the NFL, and shorter arms put him at a disadvantage. But it’s also worth talking about whether Skoronski has the technique and ability to overcome it. Obviously Skoronski thinks he does, and some draft analysts agree, including ESPN’s Todd McShay, who said, “He’s athletic and technically sound enough that he can thrive at tackle as well (as guard).”
Wiederer: Understandable.
Skoronski’s arm length — measured at 32¼ inches at the scouting combine in March — shouldn’t be the entry point into the discussion about his NFL potential. It probably shouldn’t even come up in the first five minutes of the assessment. That conversation should start with the value of Skoronski’s athleticism, sound technique and feel for the game. But the arm-length topic shouldn’t be eliminated from the evaluation either, not with the draft capital at a team like the Bears would have to invest to make him the leader of the offensive line and the headliner of their draft class. Little things matter. And for NFL offensive tackles, arm length remains a factor in the overall ability to slow elite pass rushers who are coming after your quarterback with ill intent. Now, is arm length the most important factor in a tackle’s pro success? No way. But those who are deficient in that area, such as Skoronski, must demonstrate undeniable strengths that would override that limitation. Skoronski has those. In league circles, there’s a strong consensus he is going be a great pro no matter where he plays on the line. Many think he will be a good tackle if the team that drafts him wants to use him there. Some think he can be elite at guard. For a team like the Bears picking in the top 10, having a long-term vision for the headliner of this draft class is a requirement. In the case of every prospect, including Skoronski, examining every top quality and minor flaw is simply part of the process.
Biggs: Attack the void at edge rusher with multiple options.
The Bears were last in the NFL in sacks last season with 20 and didn’t get a lot accomplished in free agency to add to the group. DeMarcus Walker was a rotational player in Tennessee and could start at left end. The Bears need to add some juice to the edge, even if it’s just a nickel pass rusher, who can give coordinator Alan Williams some matchup options. It’s a good draft for edge rushers, and the second and third rounds should offer options. Poles needs to select the right ones.
Kane: Add quality players to his offensive and defensive lines.
The Bears need a starting offensive tackle to play opposite Braxton Jones, and Poles was up front in saying last month at the NFL owners meeting that his best option might be to find help there in the draft over picking up a second-tier free agent. The Bears will have good options for an OT in the first round, but even if it’s with one of their second-round picks, I think it’s important to draft one. The Bears also need an edge rusher. Yes, they signed free agent DeMarcus Walker, who can play outside and inside on the defensive line, and they return Trevis Gipson and Dominique Robinson, but they need more young players who can get after the quarterback. The Bears have players on the roster who can play the three-technique, but adding an option in the draft also would be beneficial.
Wiederer: Upgrade his offensive and defensive lines.
That shouldn’t be a difficult task given the state of the depth chart in both areas. But entering the draft with 10 selections, including four in the top 64 picks, Poles should be looking to add multiple immediate starters and a couple of reliable reserves to his lines. Quarterback Justin Fields needs to have more comfort and confidence in this protection as he looks to make a big developmental leap as an NFL pocket passer. Matt Eberflus’ defense has to become much more imposing after a 2022 nose-dive in which it gave up 408 yards and 33.1 points per game during the 10-game losing streak to end the year. The Bears have needs everywhere. But particularly given some of the team’s misses in free agency, the offensive and defensive lines have to be the top priority.