Chicago Bears: Is Teven Jenkins arm length an issue?
Teven Jenkins was a highly regarded prospect who many thought could go in the first round. Still, when it came down to it, he did not and went in the second. While fans can say that the Chicago Bears got a steal, there are reasons he fell. Some are due to his medical reports, some due to his best year being his last and others have questions about his arm length and whether he can handle life on the edge, or is better to kick inside to guard.
While many old school NFL evaluators deem that 34″ is the standard for left tackle play, many recent players have been able to hang at tackle below that mark. Still, the drop really shows below 33″ and you do not see many tackles succeed in the NFL with 32″ long arms.
While Jenkins does not meet the 34″ mark that is preferred, he does have 33.5″ arms, which is above the 33″ threshold, albeit on the lower side.
Still, while the NFL average for starting tackle arm length is 34″, you see plenty of tackles make it in the NFL in the range of Jenkins. Check out some of the notable names below.
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As noted there really are not many other names that could be considered when they hit below 33″. However, there are plenty of tackles under 34″ that are currently thriving just fine. Tackles such as Jake Matthews, Isaiah Whynn, Bryan Bulaga, Riley Reiff, La’El Collins, Duane Brown, Jared Veldheer, and Braden Smith have shorter arms than Teven Jenkins. Veldheer is the only now locked into his starting job next season. Jenkins should be just fine if these tackles were.
Beyond that, Tony Boselli and Mitchell Schwartz have the same arm length as Teven Jenkins. Boselli is in the Hall of Fame and Scwhartz is not far behind as a talent.
Realistic expectations for Teven Jenkins. dark. Next
Would it be great if Teven Jenkins had 99 ratings across the board? Yes. Is it possible that at times he may lose against the NFLs best? Yes, it happens to everyone. However, it is hard to say that this is any reason for long term concern about him being a bust, or having to move inside to guard immediately.