The Chicago Bears really need their offensive line to be better in 2022. It allowed 58 sacks last season, with Justin Fields eating 36 of them in just 12 games. Quarterbacks shouldn’t be taking that amount of punishment. Hence why the rookie ended the season laid up with injuries. Much of the team’s hopes are pinned on what happens with Teven Jenkins this year. As a former 2nd round pick, expectations are high going into his second season.
It is difficult to know how things will unfold. Jenkins didn’t play most of last year because of back surgery. When he finally played, there were struggles and flashes of why he was drafted so high. Muddying the waters further is the arrival of a new coaching staff with a new offensive system. Their first orders of business with him involved trimming down his weight and shifting from left tackle to right tackle. Based on what he’s seeing and hearing, Bears insider Adam Jahns believes he will surprise a lot of people as early as training camp.
Teven Jenkins is in a far better position now.
He’s healthy, for one. The back is fully healed from last year, and he’s experiencing no lingering pain. That is vital. He’s also down 20 lbs and should be significantly quicker than last season too. Also, by shifting him back to right tackle, the Bears are putting him in a spot he knows well. Jenkins played there most of his college career. Last but not least, there is the offensive system itself to consider.
Offensive coordinator Luke Getsy is bringing his own variation of the wide zone offense from Green Bay. This is known for being a run-first scheme built around establishing the ground attack and then dissecting defenses with play action. That serves Teven Jenkins perfectly. His biggest strengths as a blocker were on the ground, utilizing his great mixture of size, power, and nastiness.
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If the Bears stick to that plan, it will be a great way to establish him. As he gains confidence, there is no doubt he can morph into one of the best offensive linemen on this roster by a comfortable margin.
