Chicago Bears Overreaction No. 3: Braxton Jones is one of Ryan Poles’ best draft selections
Now we’re overreacting a bit. However, it’s not all that much of an overreaction, given his performance thus far at one of the most difficult positions in the NFL.
Becoming a top left tackle in the NFL is something not many can say they’ve done, and there’s still plenty of time until Braxton Jones can claim he’s become one.
Rookie OTs Ranked by PFF Pass Block Grade:
— Brian Nemhauser (@hawkblogger) October 10, 2022
1. Abe Lucas 71.9
2. Thayer Munford 65.1
3. Jamaree Salyer 64.5
4. Charles Cross 64.0
5. Braxton Jones 63.7
That said, Braxton Jones has been holding his own rather well for a rookie drafted in the fifth round. Considering the price for a top left tackle, it’d be a real win for the Chicago Bears to have their left tackle for the price of a fifth-round pick. As seen in the most recent NFL Draft, there were four tackles selected in the first round alone.
While he’s a top-five rookie offensive tackle this season according to Pro Football Focus (PFF), he was also PFF’s top lineman for the Chicago Bears this week in all aspects: pass pro, run blocking, and overall grade.
Braxton Jones’ Week 5 PFF Grades
- OFF: 83.8
- RBLK: 90.5
- PBLK: 68.7
There’s still plenty of room for improvement, but if this is how he’s playing five weeks into his rookie season after being a fifth-round pick, the Chicago Bears should feel pretty good about their future.
As is true with most of this team, there just needs to be continuous improvement.
And if that happens in the areas that are most important, the Chicago Bears could truly be a team that opponents fear.
Until then, improve, sleep, and repeat.