The Chicago Bears appear to have a type in the draft. General manager Ryan Poles has not shied away from drafting injured players that he thinks have a high ceiling.
The Bears selected offensive tackle Kiran Amegadjie in the third round of last year’s draft despite his quadriceps injury. Amegadjie missed OTAs and most of August before returning to practice on Aug. 22
On Thursday night, the Bears selected tight end Colston Loveland out of Michigan with the No. 10 pick. Loveland had surgery on his shoulder on Jan. 29 and will be out six months from the surgery, making it a tight squeeze for him to return to practice by the time training camp starts.
On Friday night, the Bears selected Texas A&M defensive tackle Shemar Turner. Turner was expected to be a first-round pick before the 2024 campaign, but a stress fracture in his shin derailed his production.
Per Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, the issue caused him to pull out of the Senior Bowl.
“Texas A&M DL Shemar Turner, a likely Top 50 pick, had to pull out of the Senior Bowl after learning that a stress fracture from camp, that needed a rod inserted into it, never fully healed, sources say,” posted Rapoport on X.
“Turner, who played on it all season, was advised to have no impact on his leg for 3-4 weeks to let the bone finally heal. He plans to do Combine interviews and perform at his Pro Day.”
Texas A&M DL Shemar Turner, a likely Top 50 pick, had to pull out of the Senior Bowl after learning that a stress fracture from camp, that needed a rod inserted into it, never fully healed, sources say.
Turner, who played on it all season, was advised to have no impact on his… pic.twitter.com/hfcpIBqoZf
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 28, 2025
Per Tony Pauline of Sportskeeda, Turner had a solid performance during Texas A&M’s pro day.
While he wasn’t selected in the top 50, the Bears took him at No. 62, hoping he could be a strong run defender and improve his pass rush with a healthy shin. Turner recorded six sacks in 2023.
“Bears history of loving pre injured players has worked out great, we’ve got 2 new ones so far. The trenches are an afterthought with Poles,” wrote a fan.
“Great, another injured player,” posted another.
“I would give draft an A+ if it wasn’t for all the injuries,” suggested a fan.
“Every bears pick is “if healthy he can be…,” wrote another.
“Stress fracture in the shin you say,” asked a fan.
Stress fracture in the shin you say? pic.twitter.com/14R4n50rbM
— Chris (@c_f_89) April 26, 2025
“Could Shemar Turner be a possible steal,” asked a hopeful fan.
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