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When the Chicago Bears hired head coach Ben Johnson, they were putting a lot of trust in him to right the ship and get the franchise back on the winning track. He managed to accomplish that in just one season, so it’s no surprise that he’s garnered immense trust from general manager Ryan Poles.
Looking at the Bears’ most impactful rookies from last season, tight end Colston Loveland and wide receiver Luther Burden III, those selections had Johnson’s fingerprints all over them. Many questioned Chicago for drafting Loveland at 10th overall, and others wondered why they selected Burden when receiver was far from a big need. But Johnson knew exactly what he was doing.
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While it’s too early to gauge the impact of this 2026 rookie class, there are some selections where it’s clear that Poles trusted Johnson’s judgement, notably on offense with second-round center Logan Jones, as well as tight end Sam Roush and wide receiver Zavion Thomas, both selected in the third round.
While there was some concern about adding to their tight end room, one of the biggest strengths, and selecting a receiver many had pegged as a late Day 3 pick, it’s all about trusting Johnson. And that’s exactly what Poles did during the draft process.
“When you hope for that level of creativity and you can put guys in position to really highlight their specific trait to create an advantage, you welcome that all the time,” Poles said. “So yeah, his ability to do that, it reminds me of where I came from. He has a vision. You’ll look at him next to you, and he is like sketching out plays and things like that. So, when you go through that, and he can see it, and there’s a vision for it, you have confidence. Obviously, the players have to do their part and there’s development, things like that. It’s not overnight, but anytime there’s clarity on how we’re going to use players and not only just there, but also (Special Teams Coordinator Richard) Hightower, with the return game. Again, all of these things can create an advantage and put us in a good spot.”
When the Bears hired Johnson, there was little question that he’d have a vast influence in the direction of the team, and it’s clear that Poles trusts him. And, so far, Johnson hasn’t steered them wrong. So while there might be some concern about going all-offense on Day 2 of the draft, that could likely change after season’s end.
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears GM Ryan Poles on trusting Ben Johnson during draft process
