One Bears Draft Prospect Ryan Poles Might Secretly Be Coveting
It is important to remember something. GM Ryan Poles isn’t one to let things leak out of Halas Hall regarding his draft intentions. In each of the past two drafts, his first pick ended up being a surprise. Nobody had Kyler Gordon on the Chicago Bears’ radar in 2022, and few expected Darnell Wright to be their selection in 2023. So, while Poles might have no issues letting prominent names float around regarding the 9th overall pick, there is a decent possibility the player he actually likes isn’t being mentioned much.
Keeping this in mind, there is one notable name that screams the Bears GM that nobody mentions. That is Oregon State tackle Taliese Fuaga. Why? He is almost a mirror image of Wright. He’s got similar size, length, athleticism, and a nasty disposition when blocking. His pass protection technique is also some of the best in the entire draft. Fuaga even said at the scouting combine that he studies Wright constantly, believing they both share similarities in their play.
If Poles sees the same thing, it is only logical to think he’d be interested in getting both on the same offensive line.
Ryan Poles is indeed aware of Fuaga.
A source informed SM that he is on the short list of prospects they love alongside LSU wide receiver Malik Nabers and Florida State defensive end Jared Verse. The problem is that people are split about where Fuaga belongs in the NFL. Many see him as a natural right tackle. Others think he would be even better at guard, where he wouldn’t be as vulnerable to speed rushers. That presents an issue for the Bears. If they keep him at tackle, they already have Wright on the right side. It would mean either trying Fuaga at left tackle or shifting Wright to that side. Both would carry risks. If they moved him to guard, there really isn’t a spot for him. Teven Jenkins seems entrenched at left guard and the team signed Nate Davis to a sizable contract to play right guard last year.
Then again, Davis suffered from injuries and inconsistency last year. The Bears have never been shy about establishing competition. If they like Fuaga enough, they’ll add him and tell Davis to fight for his job. Ryan Poles isn’t focused on helping players be comfortable. His job is to make the team as talented as possible. There is no question that Fuaga would fortify their offensive line. That seems like an obvious priority with a young quarterback about to step in.