This is not your father’s Bears draft party.

The national cameras will not be focused on Halas Hall.

Drafting at No. 25 doesn’t have the sex appeal of prior years, but it may be the most important one we’ve had in the Ryan Poles era.

I’ll never forget sitting at Soldier Field two years ago as optimism flowed like Miller Lites on game day. Fans were amped as the anticipation grew before selecting Caleb Williams with the first overall pick. After Roger Goodell made the announcement, the party was on. The future was here. We finally got our quarterback.

Eight picks later, after Atlanta chose Michael Penix, Rome Odunze fell to the Bears, and Soldier Field was up for grabs. The dream scenario had just unfolded: a stud quarterback and a potential franchise wide receiver.

About an hour later, thanks to technology, Caleb Williams appeared at the party in a hologram and conducted an interview with Jeff Joniak.

Two years later, this is no mirage.

Thanks to the arrival of the “Ice Man” and the addition of Ben Johnson one year later, the sky is the limit.

April 25, 2024, will go down as one of the most impactful drafts in Bears history. Yet I’d argue there is even more pressure on Poles today than two years ago. Tearing it down was the easy part. The system has benefited teams choosing players in the top 10 four times in the past three years. Poles still deserves credit for successfully drafting Darnell Wright, Williams, Odunze and Colston Loveland as core pieces for years to come.

Draft night is no longer our Super Bowl, but this weekend will go a long way in determining if the Bears will win one in the coming years.

Poles chose to be prudent, if not conservative, in this year’s free agency. Coby Bryant and Devin Bush are good players, but they simply replaced Kevin Byard and Tremaine Edmunds, while needs on the defensive line and at left tackle were left untouched. The Bears have very little money left, and future extensions for Wright and Williams will be huge paydays, limiting funds going forward. It only accentuates the importance of hitting on picks 25, 57, 60 and 89.

On paper, the Bears are not better today than they were when last season ended, and it’s why there’s more pressure on Poles than at any time in his career.

In today’s NFL, plenty of teams can find a way to win 11 games in a season – doing it repeatedly is what makes it tough. The Bears have only had back-to-back winning seasons once in the past 30 years. That stat will remain intact if the defense isn’t improved, more specifically, the pass rush.

Poles has yet to draft either a Pro Bowler on defense or a pass rusher who has recorded more than six sacks in a season. One major reason has been a lack of swings. The Bears haven’t drafted a defensive player in the first round since Roquan Smith in 2019.

The last time the Bears drafted a pass rusher in the opening round was Leonard Floyd a decade ago.

It’s why I was an advocate for doing something more aggressive via trade or free agency. It worked in the past with Khalil Mack, Akiem Hicks, Julius Peppers and Adewale Ogunleye.

This is the path Poles has chosen; now he must prove that he has navigated wisely. The organization did major work a year ago; now, a repeat of that success on the defensive side of the ball is imperative. Dennis Allen found out what the Bears have and, more importantly, what they don’t have last season. Johnson has the offense primed and ready to take another step with Caleb running the show.

When the draft commences, we must pace ourselves. The wait will be longer than normal, the parties will be a bit muted, and yet the cheers will return when they’re supposed to – when there is action on the field. Now it’s up to Poles to keep the winning going and take the defense to a new level.

• Marc Silverman shares his opinions on the Bears weekly for Shaw Local. Tune in and listen to the “Waddle & Silvy” show weekdays from 2 to 6 p.m. on ESPN 1000.