
Is Ben Johnson Calling the Shots Over Ryan Poles? Bears Draft Dynamic Examined
From The Chicago Bears Podcast by ESPN Chicago
April 27, 2026 · 39 min
About this episode
The episode discusses the Chicago Bears' NFL Draft decisions, questioning the influence of Ben Johnson over Ryan Poles and the implications for the team's defense.
🐻 The Chicago Bears Podcast | Full NFL Draft Reaction Hosted by Pat The Designer & Shea Norling Brought to you by The Advantage Dealer Group & The Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana The Chicago Bears’ NFL Draft is complete, and Pat & Shea break down everything — the good, the bad, and the confusing. The biggest question: how did the Bears not address edge rusher? The guys dive into why that decision is so puzzling and what it means for the defense moving forward. They also discuss a growing narrative — are the Bears’ roster decisions now more Ben Johnson’s than Ryan Poles’? Plus, they take a hard look at Poles’ process, whether it should be questioned, and why the roster may be better… but expectations shouldn’t necessarily be higher. And when in doubt — should Bears fans just trust Ben Johnson? 👇 Episode Timestamps: 00:00:00 – No edge rusher? A puzzling draft decision 00:08:00 – Are roster moves more Ben Johnson than Ryan Poles? 00:18:00 – Questioning Ryan Poles’ draft process 00:24:00 – Roster improved, but expectations shouldn’t rise? 00:30:00 – When in doubt… trust Ben Johnson? 🎧 Subscribe for daily Chicago Bears draft reactions, analysis & insider discussion from ESPN…
People in this episode
Hosts: Pat The Designer, Shea Norling
Topics covered
- NFL Draft
- Chicago Bears
- Roster Decisions
- Ben Johnson
- Ryan Poles
- Edge Rusher
- Defense Strategy
Keywords
- Chicago Bears
- NFL Draft
- Ben Johnson
- Ryan Poles
- Edge Rusher
- Roster Decisions
- Defense
- Expectations
Sponsors
The Advantage Dealer Group, The Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana
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