The Chicago Bears say they’re well-prepared for the NFL draft, which starts Thursday in Pittsburgh.
“As we head into this weekend, we’re prepared, we’ll be adaptable,” said Jeff King, addressing the local media for the first time in his new role as assistant general manager. “We’ll make the best decisions for the team today and going forward.”
GM Ryan Poles, who made only an opening statement before handing off to King, said he likes where the offseason program has started.
“You can feel the energy shift in the building,” Poles said. “Coach (Ben Johnson) has got a really good program for those guys trying to get on that path to a championship.
“They’re working through their action plans, where to improve their game. They’re meeting with their position coaches. They’re with the performance team working on their bodies to get in shape for this upcoming season, to stay healthy.”
“Last year, you all heard about how close this team was,” Poles said. “It was very intentional. They were intentional about it. They got together. They golfed together. They had barbecues, dinners at the house.
“We want to encourage that this offseason. Continue to build a strong locker room.”
Here are three more things we learned Tuesday at Halas Hall.
Just two days from the start of the draft, the Bears didn’t offer much to signal their intentions for the 25th pick.
“The goal by the end of the weekend is to add talent competition,” King said. “I’ll leave you with this: We’re after competitors. The best players and teams I’ve been around and been on compete daily. Not just on Sundays in the fall.
“There’s been a lot said about this draft. I think there’s a lot of good football players in it, players that can help us and fit our culture.”
Some draft experts have lamented the scarcity of blue-chip prospects in this year’s draft.
“I don’t think it’s a shallow draft, I just think that there’s not much top-end talent,” said draft analyst Walter Cherepinsky, founder of Walter Football. “If you ask teams how many first-round prospects there are, I think they would probably say between 16 and 20 (versus the typical 23 to 24 first-round grades).
“It’s pretty bad at the top, but I do think it kind of levels out, like once you get to pick 25 or maybe 30 or so. I don’t think it’s that much different (at) 50 or 60 this year.”
King pushed back on the notion there won’t be many prospects still on the board who would be worth the 25th pick in most drafts.
There will be “enough for us to pick,” he said. “Like, we’re not going to get to 25 and say: ‘Well, we don’t have any first-round picks. We’re not going to pick.’ We feel really good about where we are.
“We feel really good about if we have to move back, if we have to move up. We’re going to stay adaptable. We’re going to listen to the board and pick the best players available.”
Which direction will the Chicago Bears go with the No. 25 pick? Brad Biggs’ NFL mock draft 3.0.
Some conventional wisdom says the Bears won’t select a defensive lineman — their greatest need — because the best available prospect is likely to be one of the draft’s top safeties: Oregon’s Dillon Thieneman or Toledo’s Emmanuel McNeil-Warren.
That notion is bolstered by the fact that former Seattle Seahawk Coby Bryant looks like the only lock for a starting safety spot among the defensive backs currently on the roster.