4 Chicago Bears observations entering Week 5 vs. Carolina Panthers

3. Ryan Poles is busy on the road scouting. Are we seeing a pattern as to who he is looking for?

Ryan Poles is busy traveling to some of the top college football games to scout the next Chicago Bear. Given the offensive line struggles, the fans are left frustrated as to why he did not do more to draft or sign free agents to bolster arguably the worst position on this team.

Based on the campus and games he has attended recently, it seems as though we are starting to see a pattern from him and the players who they are heavily scouting. Senior Bowl director tweeted last week that he and Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes were both attending the epic showdown between Georgia and Alabama which lived up to its hype.

Coincidentally, he also attended the season-opener between Clemson and Georgia where he was seen in attendance with New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen. There is no question he has his eyes on Georgia players. Here is the list of Georgia players who the Bears could target next April:

• Edge Mykel Williams
• Safety Malaki Starks
• LB/Edge Jalon Walker
• Guard Tate Ratledge
• Guard Dylan Fairchild
• Center Jared Wilson

If the Bears are serious about improving their offensive line to protect Caleb Williams, they better pay attention to Ratledge, Fairchild, and Wilson. There is a good chance one or two of them could be wearing the Bears uniform in 2025. Also, the defense could benefit young edge rushers like Williams and Walker, while Starks could be the ball-hawking safety who could eventually replace veteran Kevin Byard.

Meanwhile, Alabama features three offensive linemen who are highly regarded by draft experts: center Parker Brailsford and guards Tyler Booker and Jaeden Roberts. You can bet that Poles and Assistant General Manager Ian Cunningham will be making more trips to both schools later since one of them will likely be playing in the new CFB playoffs and the high level of competition the SEC offers.