NFC Draft Rumors: Bears, Lions, Packers

Bears

Bears GM Ryan Poles said that they are “in the business” for potential trades in the 2022 NFL Draft and are interested in moving back to acquire more capital. 

“I do think we will be in the business — depending on where it is and what it looks like — in moving back and trying to create more (draft capital),” Poles said, via ProfootballTalk.

Poles reiterated that he would like to pick up more picks in the draft. 

“For draft picks, I would like to do some movement and get more picks, but it’s got to be in the right area,” Poles said, via Larry Mayer of the team’s official site.

Poles added that he wants to find a beneficial trade location where they could acquire good talent while also adding selections. 

“The biggest thing is how many players you have at a certain level, so you can move back and get a quality player at that next spot,” Poles said. “And when you get kicked other picks, that’s an additional player. So, where is that pick located at in the draft and can I still get a quality player at that level as well? Also, you can accumulate on the back end and package things up and move them again. So, really it’s just the volume and where the draft is deep at certain positions.”

Poles mentioned that they asked the organization’s scouts to anonymously rank prospects at each position.

“We had great debate, great conversation,” Poles said “We did some new things. We took polls. We watched players stacked up in their position, and we’d poll everybody off their cell phone, and that information would come down to a database, and we’d display it on screen, so we’d see how everyone was ranked. Sometimes it was a runaway for the same guy. Sometimes it was a really tight race that just led to more conversation and for us to watch more tape.”

Lions

• NFL Media’s Lance Zierlein has heard Oregon DE Kayvon Thibodeaux remains very much in play for the Lions with the No. 2 pick, but that might be if Michigan DE Aidan Hutchinson is off the board at No. 1. 

Packers

• NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero notes the Packers have done some homework on potentially trading up in the draft. Green Bay has two selections tonight at No. 22 and No. 28.