During his introductory press conference, Bears general manager Ryan Poles made it clear his intent is to build through the draft. And he started doing just that in the 2022 NFL draft.
Poles turned five draft selections into 11, which included several developmental players who show plenty of promise.
While Poles didn’t have a first-round selection — and had just three selections in the first four rounds — he found some potential impact players in the draft. Including some who are expected to start immediately as rookies.
There are four different Bears from this recent 2022 draft class who should crack the starting lineup this season. Let’s take a look:
1
CB Kyler Gordon
Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports
This is an easy one considering the Bears used their top draft pick to address a glaring hole at cornerback with Kyler Gordon, who’s expected to start immediately as a rookie. Gordon is a versatile defensive back who has experience playing inside and outside. But the Bears confirmed that Gordon will start on the outside opposite Jaylon Johnson, which should make things easier on the rookie. Whether Gordon remains on the outside or is kicked inside remains to be seen. Gordon has been lighting it up during the offseason program, including nabbing several interceptions, while working with the first-team defense.
2
S Jaquan Brisker
AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh
This one doesn’t come as much of a surprise either. Second-round pick Jaquan Brisker is expected to start immediately at strong safety for the Bears. Brisker, a versatile defensive back, has been impressing throughout Chicago’s offseason program, especially when it comes to forcing turnovers. Brisker addresses a huge hole at safety for the Bears, who had one of the worst secondaries in the league. Brisker’s versatility gives Eddie Jackson an opportunity to play more deep safety, where the hope…