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George Pickens trade proves that Chicago Bears fans should trust GM Ryan Poles

Originally posted on Chicago Bears on SI
By Pete Martuneac | Last updated May 7, 2025 10:39 AM ET

Heading into the 2022 NFL draft, Chicago Bears fans were justifiably concerned with their wide receiver room. The only receiver of note was Darnell Mooney, after all. However, without a first-round pick in hand, new GM Ryan Poles had limited means with which to address that concern.

Poles then made the controversial decision to draft two defensive backs with both of his second-round picks and passed on the highly regarded receiver from Georgia, George Pickens, who was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers later in the round. The talent was obvious, but Pickens was coming off a major injury and had substantial maturity concerns, too.

Ryan Poles drafted two key contributors in 2022, justifying his process

Three years later, it seems obvious to all now that Poles was correct in his draft strategy. Kyler Gordon, Poles' first draft selection, is an unquestioned hit and just recently signed an extension to become the highest paid nickelback in NFL history . The jury is still out on Jaquan Brisker, who was selected after Gordon, but that's only due to injury concerns. When he's on the field, Brisker is a huge contributor.

Meanwhile, Pickens has just been traded to the Dallas Cowboys for a third-round selection and a pick swap. Doesn't matter how talented a player is, any time they're traded before their rookie contract is up, that's a miss by the drafting team.

Yes, Pickens is a talented receiver and likely would have helped Chicago's offense tremendously, but only on the field. During his time in Pittsburgh, he's been well documented having tantrums on the sideline, or even while still on the field, if he doesn't get the ball when he thinks he should.

Mind you, this is how he behaves in one of the NFL's most stable, successful franchises of all time, coached by a future Hall of Famer who has never overseen a losing season. Imagine how bad Pickens' attitude would have been in Chicago when the Bears went 3-14 in 2022, or when Matt Eberflus allowed the Washington Commanders to pick up a free 15 yards just before their game-winning Hail Mary in 2024, or the 14-game losing streak that stretched from 2022-23.

Maybe Pickens will be a great addition to the Cowboys. As I've said repeatedly, he's very talented. But the Steelers aren't in the habit of trading away good receivers who contribute to winning. We'll have to wait and see how this one works out.

This article first appeared on Chicago Bears on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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