The Chicago Bears have spent the past few years overhauling their offensive line, which is even more important now with a rookie quarterback in Caleb Williams on the roster.
While there are still some question marks, Chicago has a solid tackle duo in Braxton Jones and Darnell Wright. And their interior linemen are also getting some recognition from the media.
Bears guard Teven Jenkins and Nate Davis were ranked among the top 32 guards in the NFL by Pro Football Focus, making Chicago one of 10 teams to have their starting duo on the list.
Jenkins landed at 16th on the list. PFF noted that he’s been slowed down by injuries, as he’s yet to play an entire season in the NFL. Since becoming a second-round pick in 2021, it took a while for him to play with regularity. Making the switch from tackle to guard has helped him reinvent himself with the Bears. Now, he’s looking to prove he’s worthy of an extension in a contract year.
Injuries have slowed Jenkins since he was drafted by the Bears in 2021, with the former second-round pick playing in no more than 13 games in a season since his rookie year. Despite that, Jenkins has shown real potential, earning an 80.7 PFF overall grade in 2022 and a 72.6 mark in 2023.
Jenkins allowed just 17 quarterback pressures in 12 games in 2023, and his 71.7 run-blocking grade ranked 11th among guards. His game is predicated on violence upon contact, and it’ll continue to be that way as he asserts himself as one of the better guards in the NFL.
Davis landed at 26th on the list. He’s entering his second season with the Bears, and the hope is it goes better than his first. Davis was hurt a fair amount and he didn’t perform the way we came to expect as a member of the Tennessee Titans. PFF mentioned that a return to form (and health) in 2024 would mean he is one of the better guards in the league.
Davis has been injury-prone in his five NFL seasons in the NFL, and he featured in just 11 games in his first season with the Chicago Bears. The former Titan wasn’t able to put his best foot forward in 2023, earning a 52.9 PFF overall grade — the second-lowest mark of his career. But Davis was a consistently strong run-blocker in the three seasons preceding 2023, earning a 71.8 run-blocking grade from 2020 to 2022.
A healthy season could see Davis reaffirm his status as a solid guard in the NFL.
Duos on our top-32 offensive guard rankings 💪 pic.twitter.com/XfhnuviWEG
— PFF (@PFF) June 8, 2024
Having a solid offensive line is crucial in the NFL, especially with a rookie quarterback under center. With the group that the Bears have, this offensive line could take a big leap forward as some of these guys develop. If they ever find a star at center, it may be one of the top groups in the league.
Normally, Chicago is void of any players on these kinds of lists. The fact that most of them feature multiple Bears players is an encouraging thing. We’ll see what this translates to on the field once the season starts. One thing is for sure, Williams would appreciate a great offensive line. If that happened, he’d have a much easier time hitting the ground running in the NFL.