It's Week 0 of the 2026 NFL season, which only means one thing: Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles is going to college football games.
This is the time of year when Poles picks a game to watch in person so he can see the talent that will be in the NFL Draft. Last year, he went to the Miami-Notre Dame game.
For the second straight year, Poles went to a Hurricanes game, as they faced the Stanford Cardinal in California. Miami might have traveled about 2,500 miles to beat Stanford 45-6, but Poles was clearly there to see some prospects on the Hurricanes.
Some potential Miami Hurricanes draft targets for Ryan Poles and the Bears
One name of interest is the Canes' running back Mark Fletcher Jr., who could end up being one of the top backs selected in the 2027 NFL Draft. Fletcher had a quiet game, rushing for 40 yards and putting up 10 yards receiving. Still a guy Chicago might consider as the potential successor to D'Andre Swift if they wanted to move on from him next offseason.
The Bears love their wide receivers, so they could have been looking at Cooper Barkate as an option as well. Barkate caught four passes for 67 yards and one touchdown. If they needed someone to replace Kalif Raymond as a WR3, Barkate might be an option.
Chicago might have their eyes on an edge rusher, with Damon Wilson II
being a guy who could be on their radar. Wilson had only one pass deflection, but last year he had nine sacks at Missouri, so he's a pass-rushing specialist who could develop into a solid NFL edge rusher.
The defensive line needs help and is getting younger, so consider defensive tackles Ahmad Moten and Justin Scott for the list. Those are guys who can give the Bears depth on the line and help stop the run.
A little help at linebacker might be an option as well with Mohamed Toure. During the game, Toure was second on the Hurricanes in tackles with five. He could be a good depth piece to develop at linebacker, as the Bears have picked linebacker in each of the last two drafts.
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Miami has a highly talented roster in 2027 that can give the Bears a few ideas on who to target. Poles might have found some inspiration on who to target for the draft in about seven months.
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