4 Ryan Poles offseason additions already paying off for Chicago Bears

2. Jaquan Brisker

This is one that was much more expected. If you watched Jaquan Brisker at Penn State last season it was easy to say he was NFL-ready. During the preseason he was one of the best players on the field and looked like someone a bit too good for the preseason.

So, it is not a surprise that when the lights got bright in his NFL debut he fell in line and played like he always does. Brisker was tabbed with four tackles, but he was near the ball often.

He made big plays in the run game and was in on a hit with Jaylon Johnson to bump a ball free and cause a turnover.

Beyond his play, he is also freeing things up for Eddie Jackson. Brisker is a sure tackler near the football, and it causes Jackson to play in his playmaker role, and not worry about tackling in the box.

The compounding effects of the addition could be as big, or bigger than the addition itself if you think that Jackson can get back to his old ways.

Most fans and media wanted the team to go another route beyond defense in the first two rounds, but Ryan Poles stuck to his board and took the best player he had graded. It is also smarter to do that than reach for someone you do not believe in.