Greg Gabriel shares where the Bears likely are in their draft prep.
The NFL Draft is 11 days away, so what’s the next step for teams’ Personnel departments as they prepare for this year’s Draft?
I don’t know exactly how Ryan Poles and Company do their prep, but from my experience, their Draft Board will be just about set and will probably be completed by Wednesday. What’s different about this year is that the Chicago Bears currently have no picks after the fourth round. That does not mean their board will only be four rounds deep. The reason for that is following the Draft, all the grades on players get moved from the college scouting system over to the pro scouting system. There has to be a final grade on all players so that when/if they get cut or are available in a trade down the road, their college rating and reports are available to see. This is common practice with all clubs in the League. A player’s file begins with his college reports, and then pro reports are added for as long as he is in the League.
Once the Board is completed, the staff begins discussing strategy for Draft Weekend. With the Bears, it’s obvious what they are doing with the first overall pick, but it is very important to have a plan for the rest of the Draft.
I have always compared Draft prep with game prep. In game week, the coaches put together a game plan that will help them beat their next opponent. They practice that plan during the week and execute that plan on Sunday during the game. The same happens with the Draft. A plan is set up in the last week or so before the Draft, and then, come Draft Day, that plan is executed.
I have always had the firm belief that when preparing a draft plan, all possible scenarios have to be looked at. My thinking was we have to prepare for the worst-case scenario, and if that happens and we are OK with it, then we are in good shape for the Draft.
The Draft never goes as planned, as there are surprise trades made, and players get selected that you thought may be available for your pick. A team must be prepared for that. If the worst-case scenario happens, the team has to be prepared to trade down and that decision can’t be made on Draft Day but rather days before. Preparing for that means letting other clubs know that you may want to trade down. By doing so, it makes it much easier to get a trade done. When a club isn’t prepared, panic sets in, and that leads to mistakes.
With the Bears, they have to have a few plans set in stone for the #9 pick. Who are the few players they would select if they are still available? If these players are gone, do they trade down? How far do they want to trade down? All of these questions have to be answered in the days leading up to the Draft. Basically, when Plan A isn’t there, jump to Plan B.
A majority of Bears fans want the team to select a wide receiver with that ninth pick. Fans almost always are in favor of grabbing the skill positions. Team decision-makers don’t always think like that. They have to know the strengths and weaknesses of the Draft and know where the drop off is on players at each position. That helps them determine a strategy. In this Draft, the edge position is weak as far as depth while the wide receiver position is very deep.
The decision that has to be made is… Do we take an edge now and get the wide receiver later, or do we take the receiver and hope a good edge falls?
That decision will not be made on Draft night but rather days before.
Again, all of this is determined in the days leading up to the Draft. When a team is thoroughly prepared, the Draft usually goes very smoothly, and things turn out well. That doesn’t mean there isn’t discussion on the day of the Draft. As I have already mentioned, there are always surprises, and when there are, and a player or two who you felt would be gone is still on the Board, then a discussion needs to be held.
That discussion doesn’t happen when a team is on the clock but rather during the time leading up to being on the clock. It could very well be 10 to 12 picks before they are on the clock. In that time frame, the strengths and weaknesses of the player will be discussed, as well as how he helps the club if selected. Many times, the club could just avoid that player because the proper amount of discussion wasn’t done on him leading up to the Draft. When/if that happens, the club will revert to its original plan.
For the Personnel Department, Draft preparation is a fun time. Yes, it’s long and intense hours each day, but still fun and rewarding. This is when all their work over the last 12 months is put into play. Thorough and good prep more than often leads to a strong Draft and a happy Draft Room.