Ryan Poles had a problem after the 2024 NFL season concluded. As general manager of the Chicago Bears, he spent 18 weeks watching his hand-picked quarterback, selected first overall in the 2024 NFL draft and billed as a franchise savior, get sacked a franchise record 68 times, the third-worst mark in NFL history. Poles had already fired head coach Matt Eberflus, and if he didn’t put together a team that could protect his quarterback, there would be no more scapegoats behind whom he could hide.
Priority No. 1, then, was rebuilding a porous offensive line, and Poles threw as much money and draft capital at this problem as he could, including a massive trade for All-Pro guard Joe Thuney. After thirteen weeks of the 2025 NFL season, it’s time to give Poles his credit. His big swing on the offensive line has proven to be a home run, and the entire league is taking notice.
Update on how the #Bears‘ OL ranks by PFF grading:
• Joe Thuney: 6th for LG
• Drew Dalman: 3rd for C
• Jonah Jackson: 5th for RG
• Darnell Wright: 4th for RT
With Ozzy Trapilo coming off a 75.0 graded game at LT….they might have found their one missing piece. pic.twitter.com/SbzULK2Eko
— Jacob Infante (@jacobinfante24) November 24, 2025
In a recent ESPN ranking of the best NFL players at 109 different skills, three Bears’ offensive linemen made the cut, two of whom were offseason additions from this year: Darnell Wright (Best Finisher), Drew Dalman (Most Instinctive OL), and Joe Thuney (Most Disciplined OL).
NFL analyst Matt Bowen, who compiled this list, notes that Thuney “has started all 12 games for the Bears, playing 791 snaps, and he has yet to commit an accepted penalty”. It doesn’t get more disciplined than that. Thuney has never been the strongest, nor the most physically imposing offensive lineman. What he is is a ruthlessly efficient, technically proficient pass-blocking machine.
.@JosephThuney is a different animal up close 😳@ChicagoBears | @BuffaloBills pic.twitter.com/Lz5iOYvffv
— NFL Films (@NFLFilms) August 20, 2025
As for Dalman, Bowen writes, “He creates daylight for running backs, and he wins consistently in pass protection”, and describes Wright as “nasty and violent on contact, using his physical traits… to bury defenders.” He’s absolutely correct on both accounts, especially when talking about Wright, who went viral in Week 9 when he physically dominated Bengals’ first-round rookie pass rusher Shemar Stewart.
Darnell Wright sent Shemar Stewart to the afterlife on 4th and 1 and took a teammate with him at the end. pic.twitter.com/lBIqlekZGf
— Goodberry (@JoeGoodberry) November 3, 2025Ryan Poles understood the assignment and aced it
It is exceptionally rare to see an entire offensive line rebuilt to such stunning efficiency in just one offseason, but Ryan Poles did it. The only holdover from last year was Darnell Wright, who Poles drafted ninth overall in 2023 despite many analysts and fans clamoring for defensive tackle Jalen Carter. Every other spot on the line has a new starter in place, and the results of this near-total makeover speak for themselves. The Bears’ O-line ranks second and fourth in the NFL in pass block and run block win rates, respectively.
Poles has caught a lot of flak across his three years as general manager of the Chicago Bears, and not for no reason. He probably could have addressed the offensive line much earlier in his tenure, but when he finally did, he absolutely aced the test, and it’s high time that the fans give him some credit. These 2025 Bears appear to be something special, and it’s all thanks to Ryan Poles’ offseason vision.
Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images
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