6 Rookies who are making an immediate impact for the Chicago Bears

Braxton Jones has fought to become the starting left tackle of the Chicago Bears

When the offseason started, I thought for sure Ryan Poles would not only draft an offensive tackle, but I thought he might sign a veteran presence as well. It turns out that he did just that, however, not in the way I or many expected.

Instead of using one of his earlier picks on an offensive tackle, he waited until the fifth round to select a guy out of the Big Sky conference whose team only won one game last season. I liked Braxton Jones as a prospect and I don’t think the fifth round is necessarily over-drafting him, but I did not expect him to work his way from the third string line all the way to being Justin Fields’ starting left tackle. That is honestly insane. That said, he has looked the part to this point and we should all be excited about his growth.

Ryan Poles also added a veteran presence in Riley Reiff. Unfortunately for Reiff, it does not appear that he is going to be the starting left or right tackle to start the season. Instead, Matt Eberflus and his staff are rolling with the younger guys — Braxton Jones at left tackle and Larry Borom at right tackle.