The 2026 NFL Draft is now in the rearview mirror, but that does not alleviate the amount of work that still needs to be done as the Chicago Bears prepare for the 2026 regular season. We are now in the secondary window for free agent signings. Voluntary minicamps will ramp up soon, followed by training camp.
Many fans were left outraged and confused by what took place on Day 2 of the Bears' draft. After landing Dillon Thieneman at pick 25, the Chicago Bears turned their attention back to the offensive side of the ball. Three straight picks on offense, and fans were losing their minds.
It started with pick 57. Ryan Poles and Ben Johnson took the first center in the draft -- selecting Logan Jones out of Iowa. Many had Jones pegged as a top-three center prospect, but very few had him as the top option because he will be 25 in October. Poles traded back out of the second round with the Titans and took a TE3 at pick 69 and followed that up with Zavion Thomas at pick 89. Thomas was projected by most analysts to be selected in the seventh round. Personally, I had a fifth-round grade on him.
Bears fans need to stop glazing Ben Johnson and blaming Ryan Poles
Watching the Bears pass on defensive line prospects with their first four picks caused mass chaos on social media. The problem was not second-guessing or questioning the moves that took place. This is acceptable behavior despite the team coming off back-to-back successful draft classes.
Too often, fans have watched this team squander draft after draft after draft. Even Ben Johnson would expect fans to hold him accountable for his actions, yet he seems to get a free pass.
Johnson has only been an NFL head coach for one season. Although that one season was highly successful, Year 2 is not a guarantee of seeing the same or even remotely similar success.
Yet fans now just expect greatness, and many give Johnson a free pass. This, on its own accord, wouldn't necessarily be the worst thing, but when coupled with the fact that fans are blasting Ryan Poles for any pick they don't like, it stands out as hypocrisy.
Ryan Poles has not been perfect. No general manager ever is perfect.
Too many look back at the complete teardown he did of the Ryan Pace roster and scream from the mountaintops how bad Poles is as a GM. What we are seeing now, though, is fans blaming Poles for picks like Zavion Thomas, when it's evident that Thomas was a guy Ben Johnson liked and pushed for this past weekend.
Poles, like any good GM, works hand-in-hand with his head coach and coordinators. He brings in guys the coaches believe would fit their scheme, while pairing that with their scouting analyses.
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Stop blaming Ryan Poles for picks you do not like while giving Ben Johnson a free pass. They are a pair. They are a duo. If one fails, they both fail. If one succeeds, they both succeed.
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