The Chicago Bears entered the 2021 NFL draft with a need at offensive tackle and appeared to fill it in the second round with the selection of Oklahoma State’s Teven Jenkins.
When the pick was made, it seemed Jenkins would slide into the starting right tackle role following the release of veteran Bobby Massie. Now, Jenkins is fast-tracking to the starting left tackle gig after the release of Charles Leno Jr., a move that was dubbed one of the worst in the NFL since the end of draft weekend.
But the Bears cut veteran Charles Leno Jr. in early May, ending the tenure of one of the league’s most underrated tackles. Leno still had a solid 74.6 PFF grade (out of 100) last season over 1,066 snaps. He’s also been reliable, appearing in 16 games in each campaign since the 2015 season, his second in the league.
Part of the issue too is the Bears will rely on rookie Teven Jenkins to play left tackle right away, which could backfire. This could prove problematic in the short term while they try to compete with Dalton behind center—never mind over the long term if it hurts Fields’ ability to develop into the franchise passer the team thinks he can be.
Leno hasn’t been great in recent seasons, but finding even a competent starting offensive tackle isn’t exactly an easy task. The Bears are definitely taking a risk inserting an untested rookie at left tackle and it’s a move that could backfire if Jenkins gets off to a slow start as a pro. There were some draft analysts who thought Jenkins would fare better at guard in the NFL.
There’s still time for the Bears to add another veteran offensive tackle before training camp kicks off, so we may end up seeing Jenkins at right tackle after all. But that’s nothing more than speculation.
For now, the Bears are playing a high-stakes game along the offensive line with their decision to give Leno his walking papers.