Some fans go too crazy for the NFL combine while some do not care enough.
While it can be debated amongst fans how valuable it is, one thing that cannot be debated is how important it is to Ryan Poles.
Ryan Poles will draft athletic players for the Chicago Bears
A recent study was done looking at the relative athletic score and age of draft prospects assigned to the General Managers that drafted them. When it comes to age, Poles skews slightly older but when it comes to the athletic metrics, there is no one more tied to it than Poles.
The average RAS of Poles' draft choices is close to 9.5, the highest amongst any GM in the NFL. If you remember his first year as GM he had a boatload of Day three picks and loaded up with swings on athletes. Darnell Wright, Gervon Dexter, and Rome Odunze are also high picks with strong athletic profiles.
Of course, like anything, it could be a small sample size, or it could be random that he liked those prospects. However, it is obviously something to watch for as players ascend to Indianapolis for the NFL combine.
Poles has been known to pass on well-known prospects for not hitting his thresholds. If a player who is highly linked to the Bears comes with a below-average athletic profile, it will be fair to wonder if they have any shot of being drafted by the team.
On the flip side, a player you may have never heard of should now be on your radar if you see them post an RAS of nine or higher. Even on day three, you may see Poles take the swing because of their athletic profile.
Will the trend continue this year, and will Poles continue to be the GM with the highest RAS score tied to his draft history?