The Chicago Bears made a decision before the 2022 season started that most wouldn’t have. Head coach Matt Eberflus chose to give rookie Braxton Jones the starting left tackle job. It was a baffling decision to many. Jones was a 5th round pick out of small Southern Utah. His team went 1-10 during his final season. The Bears liked his size and athleticism, but he was completely untested against top competition outside of a solid Senior Bowl week. Yet they saw enough in summer practices to believe he had potential.
Their trust was rewarded. Jones played every snap for the Bears this year, the only offensive player to do so. He was their second-best pass protection and one of the top-rated run-blocking tackles in the entire NFL. It wasn’t a perfect year. Jones had some clunkers from time to time. See the game in Detroit. He still struggles against bull rushes, something he fully acknowledged. Yet for where the Bears drafted him, 2022 was an undeniable success. Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune heard as much from an NFL executive. He feels the team handled the rookie perfectly.
“I chatted with an assistant GM and he praised the Bears for rolling with fifth-round pick Braxton Jones at left tackle this season. He liked Jones in the pre-draft process and used the word “intentional” in describing what the Bears did by thrusting young players such as Jones into primary roles. More on Jones in a little bit, but this guy’s take was that the Bears will look to make some moves in free agency but that Poles will be draft-driven in working to climb out of the hole in the NFC North.”
Braxton Jones gives the Bears some stability.
Right now, it appears they have two locked starters for next season. It is him at left tackle and Teven Jenkins at right guard. Left guard, center, and right tackle remain uncertain. Cody Whitehair may get one more year at left guard. Lucas Patrick has another year on his contract. Perhaps the Bears want to give him another shot at center. The big spot they have to fix is right tackle. Larry Borom and Riley Reiff were not the answer this season. A replacement will be found either via free agency or the draft.
As for Braxton Jones, he controls his own destiny. He did enough as a rookie to earn another season. Beyond that, nothing is guaranteed. He has a lot of issues to clean up. Topping the list is his power base. If he keeps struggling against bull rushes, the Bears may not feel they can trust him long-term. That is why he stated his primary focus in the off-season will be the weight room. He’s well aware of where his improvements are needed. If he succeeds, Chicago may have their left tackle.
Subscribe to the BFR Youtube channel and ride shotgun with Dave and Ficky as they break down Bears football like nobody else.
Ask anyone who has ever played the OL, and they’ll tell you Larry Borom is a better OT than Braxton Jones (So, why didn’t they play both?).
Because Ryan Poles wasted money on Riley Reiff (Lucas Patrick and Alex Leatherwood) rather than letting the coaches apply the “performance over politics” plan that they promised.
They need a LG, Center and RT. Period.
I wasn’t terribly impressed by that video to be honest, until I take into account this is a small school rookie, from a bad small school too, that now has a full year of experience under his belt. He had a fair/decent year for a left tackle in the NFL, but when you consider the above points, he definitely deserves another year to grow into the position. He may well turn into an awesome left tackle and if not, until then he is at least serviceable.
Don’t get me wrong (every mock draft simulation I have done lately has the best available tackle drafted late first round or early second) but I agree that the greatest need on the oline is center. I think both guards and both tackles will suddenly look a lot better when Mustipher is gone and Fields is not constantly being forced out of the pocket by the interior rush. The only reason to take a center later in the draft is because you can – teams undervalue them and you can get a plug and play starter much later than you… Read more »
Seriously ? Did they look HARD at the tape ? Even the Dolphin game as shown above i see a guy who ” gets in the way ” far more than anchors or has strength at point of attack ! Can he get better ? Yes but starting will only reinforce the bad i see longer as it get’s repeated every game thus reinforced ! He needs time as backup to watch and practice good habits while working on strength !