The Chicago Bears have made a significant move to strengthen their offensive line by acquiring Ryan Bates on Monday. This trade could potentially pave the way for Bates to become the team's next starting center. However, this acquisition comes at the cost of a fifth-round pick in this year's draft.

With this latest trade, General Manager Ryan Poles has found himself working with a limited number of draft picks. Prior trades involving Montez Sweat, Dan Feeney, and N'Keal Harry have already impacted the Bears' draft capital. As it stands, they now only have five picks to work with, pending any further deals.

The exact positioning of the Bears' fourth-round picks and beyond remains uncertain, as the league has not yet assigned compensatory picks to teams. These picks typically come into play starting at the end of the third round.

In previous trades, the Bears acquired the Panthers' first-round pick in exchange for the No. 1 overall pick last year. Additionally, they obtained the Eagles' fourth-rounder after swapping spots with the Eagles during last year's draft, leading to the selection of Jalen Carter. On the other hand, the Bears' second-round pick now belongs to the Commanders due to the trade that brought Montez Sweat to Chicago.

To further bolster their team, the Bears sent their sixth-round pick to the Dolphins in exchange for Dan Feeney and their seventh-round pick to the Patriots in exchange for N'Keal Harry.

As the draft approaches, the Bears will need to make strategic decisions with the limited picks they have remaining. While the acquisition of Ryan Bates addresses a pressing need on their offensive line, it remains to be seen how this trade will affect their overall draft strategy.

It is an important period for the Bears organization, and fans eagerly await the outcome of the upcoming draft as the team looks to solidify their roster for the upcoming season.