Enter the Bears 2024 NFL Draft war room in your latest edition of ‘1920 Football Drive’

Enter the Bears 2024 NFL Draft war room in your latest edition of ‘1920 Football Drive’ originally appeared in NBC Sports Chicago

In the last edition of Bears‘ “1920 Football Drive” YouTube series recapping the offseason leading up to the 2024 NFL Draft.

The video joins a trend of NFL teams giving fans privileged access to the war room during the draft. Viewers see everything about the Bears, including the conversations leading up to Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze being drafted, as well as Ryan Poles’ classic reaction to Michael Penix Jr.’s draft.

There were many comedic moments too. Combine scout Ryan Weese probably typed “Caleb Williams” on the Bears’ draft card. The Poles responded with a hilarious joke.

“You just assume, huh?”

Then the tension increases. The Poles admitted to the media after the draft that they almost rushed into a trade to try and get Odunze, but Ian Cunningham stopped him from doing so. You can feel the tension and see the nervousness in the room as they wait for the teams before they pick.

After the Titans picked JC Latham, the Poles had a big smile. Cunningham reported that they had a 77% chance of Odunze falling at their feet. After Penix Jr.’s selection – which shocked everyone in the room – the war room began with hugs and high fives.

The Poles and the room were surprised that they did not have to negotiate. Clearly, they were willing to shell out some capital to make this happen. But it worked exactly as they designed it.

For the rest of the draft, viewers can see the room make decisions on the rest of the picks, including the trade back into the draft for Kansas’ Austin Booker. It’s a fascinating video.

In the end, the Poles ended the draft with an excellent recap speech for their team.

“I want to thank everyone,” Poles said. “That was one of the best draft experiences I’ve ever had. But it’s because of all the hard work that everyone put in. Well prepared, and it felt like it was meant to be. And obviously, in the end, we had to make some moves to finish strong, but I just want to thank everyone for the time they put into this.

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