Poles never saw it coming. One shocking first-round draft selection left the Bears' GM completely stunned, paving the way for a coveted playmaker.
Chicago Bears General Manager Ryan Poles typically hasn't been one to hide how he is feeling during his tenure in the Windy City.
You can look back at moments like his end-of-season media availability, where he chuckled when he was asked about a potential trade for Las Vegas Raiders edge rusher Maxx Crosby.
Even before that, there was his reaction to one draft pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
2024 was the final year of the Matt Eberflus era in Chicago. The Bears had the ninth-overall pick in the draft after that infamous trade with the Carolina Panthers, where the Bears got D.J. Moore and a draft haul for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
The Panthers went on to select Bryce Young.
As Bears fans know, the franchise got the likes of Rome Odunze, Darnell Wright, Luther Burden, Tyrique Stevenson and Caleb Williams from the draft picks in that trade.
However, Poles wasn't sure if the Bears would be able to take Odunze at first. He believed that the Atlanta Falcons would've selected the former Washington receiver with the eighth-overall pick.
Much to Poles' surprise, the Falcons went with former Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. instead. He couldn't believe that Odunze fell to the Bears, and fans won't mind either.
Odunze has been productive in his first two seasons in the league. As a rookie, he had 734 receiving yards and three touchdowns. In 2025, he accounted for 661 receiving yards and six touchdowns due to a foot stress fracture that kept him out for the second half of the regular season.
Penix didn't start for the Falcons initially as a rookie. He sat behind veteran Kirk Cousins, but was eventually named the starter ahead of Week 16. Penix finished with 775 passing yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions.
He was the starter for the 2025 season, but unfortunately suffered a season-ending ACL tear in Week 11. In his limited sample size, he threw for 1,982 passing yards, nine touchdowns and three interceptions.
The Bears picked Williams, Odunze, Kiran Amegadjie, Tory Taylor and Austin Booker in that draft class. In 2025, the Bears selected Colston Loveland, Burden, Ozzy Trapilo, Zah Frazier, Ruben Hyppolite II, Luke Newman, Shemar Turner and Kyle Monangai
That reaction alone from Poles tells you everything you need to know. The Bears' GM knows what he's doing when it comes to picking players.