When determining which Chicago Bears rookie might have a chance to crack the list of the 10-15 best in the NFL right now, two names probably stand out among fans. The obvious choice is Jaquan Brisker. The 2nd round safety out of Penn State has quickly become a mainstay on defense with 73 tackles, three sacks, an interception, and a forced fumble. Others might say Jack Sanborn. The undrafted linebacker has rapidly ascended in recent weeks with 53 tackles, two sacks, and an interception he was robbed of by refs. However, all those people would be wrong.
Josh Edwards of CBS Sports released his rookie Week 15 power rankings. It involved the usual suspects at the top, such as Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner, Saints wide receiver Chris Olave, Lions defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, and Seahawks cornerback Tariq Woolen. The surprise came at the 11th spot, where it wasn’t Brisker or Sanborn that occupied it. That honor belonged to left tackle Braxton Jones. He was even ranked ahead of far more heralded Seahawks rookies Charles Cross and Abraham Lucas.
The Chicago Bears should be thrilled with Jones’ progress.
Before people flip out, it’s acknowledged he hasn’t been perfect. There are still holes in his game that need fixing. Still, it must also be stated he’s performed far above expectations for a 5th round pick from an FCS school. Not only is he one of their best run blockers, but he’s also only allowed five total pressures on the quarterback in his past four games. For context, he allowed 14 in the four games before that. So he has made significant strides in his play. That makes it easy to understand why he’s on the list.
If he is this good already, it’s exciting to imagine how much better he can get with more professional coaching and weight room work. There is no telling where his potential might go. If he continues to develop on his current trajectory, the Chicago Bears may have one of the biggest steals of the 2022 draft by a wide margin. Finding franchise left tackles is hard, even in the 1st round. Snagging one in the 5th is unheard of. This scenario could make the Bears’ rebuild accelerate far faster than expected.
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