The Chicago Bears did not have starting left tackle Braxton Jones on the field at any point during the offseason program as he recovers from an ankle injury that required surgery. That time off allowed rookie second-round pick Ozzy Trapilo (and even second-year third-rounder Kiran Amegadjie) to gain valuable experience.
However, Jones’ track record may be better than the Bears’ offseason moves might otherwise indicate. He could quickly reassert himself as the Bears’ starting left tackle in camp.
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Pro Football Focus’ Zoltán Buday ranked the Bears’ retooled offensive line as the fourth-best heading into camp around the league. Jones was among the first items Buday noted in his review.
“Things are set to look a lot different in Chicago. Not only is the offensive line remolded, but it’s also perhaps the most improved unit in the NFL,” Buday wrote on July 7. “Braxton Jones and Darnell Wright, who both finished among the 22 highest-graded offensive tackles in 2024, were already a promising young duo. Now, the unit has three new interior starters who represent immediate upgrades.”
Jones was a fifth-round pick in 2022, and he started every game as a rookie. He has played in 23 games in the two seasons since then, though.
Still, Pro Football Focus gave Jones the best grade of his career for his 2024 campaign.
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Whether or not the Bears still feel Jones is their best option remains unclear, though. That is especially true given the Bears used a premium pick to select his potential successor. In addition to missing the offseason program, Jones missed the final two weeks of the 2024 season. He is also in the final year of his contract.
Notably, Jones ranked fourth in ESPN’s Run Block Win Rate last season.
He is far from perfect. However, the Bears have done well to upgrade their group around him, which should help Jones (and Wright).
“Trade acquisition Joe Thuney has been the best pass-blocking guard in the NFL in recent years, and free-agent center Drew Dalman ranked among the top five at his position in PFF overall grade in each of the past two seasons,” Buday wrote. “If right guard Jonah Jackson can stay healthy and get back to his old form, this can be one of the NFL’s top offensive lines.”
PFF gave the Bears the eighth-best pass blocking grade and 15th-best run blocking marks.
Whether or not that matched the eye test game to game aside, improvement up front with Jones or Trapilo at LT should do wonders for quarterback Caleb Williams and running back D’Andre Swift this coming season.
If not, and new head coach Ben Johnson is not able to right the ship as expected in Year 1, the Bears will certainly have even more reassessing to do ahead of the 2026 season.