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Bears offensive linemen earn top rankings from expert analyst

Originally posted on Chicago Bears on SI
By Pete Martuneac | Last updated Jul 18, 2025 9:43 PM ET

Not many NFL analysts put as much work into their offensive line evaluations as Brandon Thorn, who pores over countless hours of game film from dozens of blockers every year. When Thorn has something to say about offensive linemen, smart fans and even other experts listen up and take note.

For Chicago Bears fans, that's good news. In his annual rankings of the Top 15 players at each offensive line position, Thorn included four of Chicago's five starters. Yes, that's right: four out of five. This is an incredible turnaround for a unit that had only one player (left guard Teven Jenkins) make Thorn's rankings last year.

The first Bear to earn a mention, to no one's surprise, is Joe Thuney, who checks in as the No. 1 left guard in the NFL. Here's what Thorn had to say about Thuney: "He wins with an advanced understanding of leverage and impeccable technique that has consistently shown up on film for years. Considering the technically savvy ways he wins and his track record of consistency, even with the move to Chicago, I would expect him to hit the ground running."

As for the rest, Drew Dalman is ranked as the No.8 Center, Jonah Jackson just squeezes in as the 14th- best right guard, while Darnell Wright lands at No. 10 among right tackles. For those keeping track, that means that, according to Brandon Thorn, three of Chicago's five starting offensive linemen are Top 10 material.

Thorn is also high on Darnell Wright's upside as he enters his third season, writing, "Given his high-end blend of size, play strength and power, Wright has 'trump card' traits. Those traits, combined with his technique trending in the right direction, warrant this placement as a top 10 right tackle." Thorn also noted that Wright showed real improvement last year despite 'a revolving door at right guard and a head coaching change in November', all of which are signs of an ascending young star.

If it feels like the offensive line is all anyone can talk about when the Chicago Bears are brought up, that's because the improvement there can't be overstated. We're talking about a unit that gave up 57 unblocked pressures and 13 unblocked sacks last year, both of which were league-worst numbers. While Caleb Williams was not without blame for the 68 sacks he took, he never had a chance behind such a porous, inconsistent offensive line.

That's all changed after GM Ryan Poles invested heavily in the trenches this offseason. Seemingly everywhere you look, you'll find analysts, experts, and fans calling Chicago's O-line as one of the best in the league. On paper, they certainly are. But as Bears fans have learned far too many times to count, they have to prove it on the field first.

This article first appeared on Chicago Bears on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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