Bears Must Decide If They Can Build A Winning Offensive Line Around Braxton Jones

Quarterback is hardly the only position the Bears are evaluating as they head into the last five weeks of the season with a 4-8 record. While it’s mathematically possible to salvage a winning season it appears this will be their fifth year in a row at .500 or worse.

Left tackle Braxton Jones has been one of the bright spots. He joins third-year guard Teven Jenkins and free-agent guard Nate Davis among the most highly graded members of an offensive line that has steadily improved throughout this season.

Pro Football Focus ranked the line 19th in the NFL after a 12-10 victory over Minnesota on Monday Night Football. It finished 2022 near the bottom of the rankings and wasn’t believed to have improved in the off-season.

Jones, a fifth-round pick in the ’22 draft, has offered the Bears’ a nice value since signing a four-year, $3.96 million rookie deal. He carries a salary cap hit of only $813,221 this season, according to Spotrac.com, and it is due to increase to just $1.06 million next season.

Pro Football Focus currently grades Jones 34th among 84 qualifying tackles. His season pass-blocking grade of 81.7 ranked sixth among tackles through Week 12, behind only Dallas’ Tyron Smith, Minnesota’s Christian Darrasaw, Denver’s Garett Bolles, Tampa Bay’s Tristan Wires and Las Vegas’ Kolton Miller.

But Jones’ evaluation is clouded, it seems, by him being one of only three players ever drafted from Southern Utah, which plays in the Big Sky Conference. With two first-round picks in the upcoming draft, it will be possible for the Bears to add a name-brand tackle for the second season in a row.

Bears General Manager Ryan Poles traded down twice in the 2023 draft before selecting 335-pound tackle Darnell Wright from Tennessee. Wright has started all 12 games as a rookie, playing opposite from Jones. PFF
PFF
ranked Wright 53rd at the position through Week 12.

Wright represents a significant financial contract. He carries a 2023 salary cap figure after about $3.812 million after signing a four-year, $20.97 million deal as a first-rounder (including $12.25 million guaranteed).

Would the Bears commit heavily on another tackle in the draft? They may have a shot at Penn State’s Olu Fashanu or Notre Dame’s Joe Alt with the second of their two first-round picks. If they slide in the draft, they would still be able to consider Oregon State’s Tallies Fuaga, Alabama’s JC Latham or Georgia’s Amarius Mims.

The success of the teams with the most highly regarded offensive lines — Philadelphia, Detroit, Baltimore and Dallas, most notably — argues toward a continued investment in front of the long-term quarterback, whether it’s Justin Fields, Caleb Williams or Drake Maye.

But Poles could shift his focus toward finding a replacement for fading veteran Cody Whitehair to join Jenkins in the interior of the offensive line. He might be able to trade down with one of the two first-round picks to add the most highly regarded center (currently Oregon’s Jackson Powers-Johnson) or guard (Connecticut’s Christian Haynes).

There will be interior linemen available as free agents, as is always the case. Centers Connor Williams (Miami), Andre James (Las Vegas) and Aaron Brewer (Tennessee) all figure to be of interest if they remain unsigned. They are all highly regarded — Williams has PFF’s highest grades among centers — and will be in their age-27 seasons next year.

The Bears must figure out where Jones fits in before pursuing more talent. He missed all of October while on Injured Reserve from a neck injury suffered in Week Two but has significantly upgraded the line since returning at New Orleans on Nov. 5.

Can you build a contender with a draft surprise from Southern Utah filling one of the most most important positions? That’s one of the questions the Bears must answer while sorting out their long-term future at quarterback.