Ryan Poles Could Break 43-Year-Old Record On Opening Draft Night

Ryan Poles shocked many people when he traded the 1st overall pick to the Carolina Panthers last month. It was only the third time a team had done that since the turn of the millennium. The goal for the Chicago Bears was obvious. They needed more picks to help retool a depleted roster and a weapon for quarterback Justin Fields. That is why D.J. Moore was included. Most experts felt the Bears made out well in the deal. What nobody expected was what came next.

Rumors started surfacing that Poles might not be done moving down. He is keen on doing so a second time, hoping to secure at least another Day 2 pick, preferably in the 2nd round. That would be unprecedented. It’s been many years since a team traded down from #1 overall to outside the top 10 and stayed there. Depending on how far Poles is willing to drop, he could end up challenging a modern NFL record. It was set way back in 1978 when Tampa Bay moved down from #1 all the way to 17th in a deal with the Houston Oilers.

Player picked at No. 1: RB Earl Campbell

Tampa Bay received: TE Jimmie Giles, 1978 first-round pick (No. 17, QB Doug Williams), 1978 second-round pick (No. 44, G Brett Moritz), 1979 third-round pick (No. 78, DE Reggie Lewis) and 1979 fifth-round pick (No. 133, QB Chuck Fusina)

Oilers received: 1978 No. 1 pick (Campbell)

There is some deep irony here for Ryan Poles.

The GM of the Buccaneers that year was a young man named Ron Wolf. Later, he built a Hall of Fame career with Green Bay in the 1990s. Poles actually comes from the same executive tree as Wolf, having worked under John Dorsey in Kansas City, who in turn worked with Wolf in Green Bay. It’s fascinating to think Poles might be the first since Wolf to move so far down from the #1 spot. The move worked out pretty well for Tampa Bay. Doug Williams became their best QB in franchise history until Tom Brady arrived many years later. He led the Bucs to their first playoff appearance and NFC championship game.

Ryan Poles already knows trading down carries risks, but he’s seen it pulled off successfully multiple times. He already has Moore in his back pocket, along with an extra 2nd round pick this year, 1st round pick in 2024, and 2nd round pick in 2025. Adding another 2nd rounder would give the Bears loads of ammunition to find some talented players. Not all of them will work out, but the odds will be better.

It comes down to which teams try moving up. Word is there are at least two that at least two are interested, Pittsburgh being one of them. They pick 17th. That would tie the Bucs’ record. Would Poles dare drop even further? We will soon find out.