Blocking Bears: Final Grades for the 2023 Season

In this article, we rank the Chicago Bears offensive linemen based on their performances in 2023. To build out my grading system, I watched each game five times. Once for each position on the offensive line. I used a five-tier grading system, ranking each rep as Great, Good, Fine, Poor, or Bad. Then, I used these tiers to generate the final grades and block success rates. For grading purposes, 60 is considered average.

1 . Teven Jenkins - Left Guard / Right Guard

My Grade: 71.9 (Very Good)

PFF Grade: 72.9 (10th among 65 qualifying OGs)

Letter Grade: A-

The Bears offensive line plays with an edge when Teven Jenkins is on the field. He's the tone-setter for the group. Jenkins had a season-long block success rate of 89.53%, ranking first on the team by a wide margin. The Oklahoma State product recorded an above-average rep on 25.8% of snaps, which is the best mark on the team. Meanwhile, he limited negative reps to only 10.5% of plays, also the best rate on the team.

Jenkins' improved consistency is one of my favorite takeaways from the 2023 season. Despite a poor Week 18 performance after the birth of his first child, I believe that Jenkins is playing at an All-Pro level as long as he is healthy. He missed five games this past season. Had he sustained his level of play across 15+ games, his letter grade would've been an A+. Lock Jenkins in to start at left guard next year and consider an early extension. But maybe add some quality depth behind him while you're at it, just in case of injury.

2 . Braxton Jones - Left Tackle

My Grade: 63.8 (Slightly Above Average)

PFF Grade: 68.7 (33rd among 70 qualifying OTs)

Letter Grade: C+

Braxton Jones is a fine to slightly above-average offensive tackle with a block success rate of 84.57%, ranking second on the team. He recorded above-average reps at a rate of 23.7%, ranking second on the team. His negative rep rate of 15.4% is tied for the third-lowest mark on the team.

Jones' lack of anchor and play height were noticeable weaknesses in 2023. It wasn't unusual to see defenders get their hands into his chest and generate movement into the pocket. While Jones did a good job staying attached on those reps, he stands to improve that anchor.

He uses his length and spatial awareness to keep defenders at bay. But in the offseason, I hope he works on his hip flexibility and lower-body strength to more easily set into his anchor and hold ground. Additionally, he could work on preventative measures via hand fighting to ensure that defenders get out of his chest more often. With his length advantage, that should be doable.

Between Jones' issues handling bull rushes and missing six games, he gets knocked down in letter grade. Had he sustained his level of play across 15+ games, his letter grade would've been a B. I think Jones should be locked in to start at left tackle in 2024 unless an outstanding prospect falls in Ryan Poles' lap at great value. I don't expect Joe Alt, Olu Fashanu, or JC Latham to fall in the Bears' lap, though.

3 . Darnell Wright - Right Tackle

My Grade: 61.7 (Average)

PFF Grade: 62.4 (52nd among 70 qualifying OTs)

Letter Grade: B-

Darnell Wright had a solid season for a rookie offensive tackle. Wright's season-long block success rate of 82.82% ranked third on the team. He recorded an above-average rep on 22% of snaps, ranking third on the team. Meanwhile, Wright recorded negative reps on 17.2% of plays, the fourth-lowest rate on the team.

Among the 17 rookie offensive tackles drafted in the first round over the last five years, Wright ranks ninth in PFF grade, 11th in pass-blocking grade, fifth in true pass set grade, and seventh in run-blocking grade. However, I can't help but feel like the shoulder injury he played through derailed his grades to an extent.

At this point, I'm extremely excited about Wright's future. I'm confident that the Bears got a good one. His letter grade is on a scale due to him being a rookie. But had it not been for the shoulder injury, I could see his grade going up to a B+. Lock him into the starting right tackle spot for 2024.

4 . Nate Davis - Right Guard

My Grade: 59.8 (Slightly Below Average)

PFF Grade: 52.9 (54th amongst 65 qualifying OG's)

Letter Grade: D+

It was a disappointing season for the free-agent acquisition. On the season, Nate Davis had a block success rate of 84.95%, ranking third on the team. He recorded above-average reps 19.5% of the time, ranking fifth on the team. Conversely, he recorded negative reps on 15.1% of plays, the Bears' second-lowest ranking.

"How is that disappointing?" you might ask. Those rankings seem pretty good. But the thing is, Davis didn't provide enough difference-making blocks to make up for his blunders. He only provided a great block on 1% of his pass-blocking reps and 2% of his run-blocking reps. But he provided a bad rep on 4% of his pass-blocking reps and 5% of his run-blocking reps. To live with bad reps, you need to provide great, difference-making reps, and that's something he didn't do enough of.

I don't think the 2023 season was an accurate representation of Davis as a player, though. He lost a loved one at the start of the season, and things like that impact people in every single aspect of their lives. While I'm giving Davis a poor grade for his season (D+), it's with an asterisk that these players are human and go through ups and downs personally, just like the rest of us. Expect to see Davis starting at left guard in 2024. But also expect the Bears to have a quality plan B, just in case he doesn't bounce back.

5 . Lucas Patrick - Center

My Grade: 56.7 (Below Average)

PFF Grade: 50.5 (29th among 32 qualifying Cs)

Letter Grade: D+

The 2023 season went pretty much as expected for the Bears center. Lucas Patrick's block success rate of 82.67% ranked fifth on the team. He recorded an above-average rep on 18.7% of snaps, which ranked sixth on the team. Meanwhile, he recorded a negative rep on 17.3% of snaps, the sixth-lowest rate on the team.

If you sit down and watch every snap from Patrick, you start to root for the guy. He's not the biggest, strongest, or most athletic. But he fights, man. He fights for his life every snap. I respect how he plays the game of football despite his limitations. But even in his stronger performances, you can see that his ceiling is limited. 

Patrick had some nice games against inferior defensive lines. But every time the Bears faced a strong front, his issues came to light. Patrick enters free agency, and I'd prefer to see the Bears attack a more capable starting center and swing interior lineman in free agency and the draft. Jackson Powers-Johnson, Zak Zinter, and Layden Robinson are among the notable prospects.

6 . Ja'Tyre Carter - Left / Right Guard

My Grade: 54.1 (Poor)

PFF Grade: 49.0 (N/A)

Letter Grade: C+

Carter didn't see regular snaps after Week 6 of the 2023 season. His block success rate of 75.9% ranked last on the team. But he recorded an above-average rep on 21.7% of snaps, which ranks fourth on the team. Meanwhile, he logged negative reps on 24.1% of snaps, the worst rate on the team. Carter flashed often in his limited play time, but those flashes didn't outweigh the negative plays. There might be something to develop here, though.

In his limited opportunities, the second-year player showed promise in pass protection with lightning-quick hands and an aggressive demeanor. But the flashes in pass protection didn't outweigh the miscues as a run blocker, where he needs to become more consistent to see more playing time. I don't think it'd be wise for the Bears to count on Carter as their primary swing next season, but I think he can grow into that role.

7 . Cody Whitehair - Swing Guard / Center

My Grade: 52.4 (Poor)

PFF Grade: 45.0 (62nd among 65 qualifying OGs)

Letter Grade: D-

It's been sad to see Cody Whitehair's regression in recent years. Whitehair's block success rate of 80.44% ranked seventh on the team. But he only recorded an above-average rep on 14.1% of snaps, ranking second to last on the team. Further, he recorded negative reps on 19.6% of snaps, the third-highest rate on the team.

You can live with a high negative play rate from a player who offers game-changing moments. But that's never been Whitehair's game, and his ability to provide those moments has dwindled with age. Whitehair doesn't have the lower-body strength he used to, making it difficult to be more than a stop sign in the run game. While he showed good fight and want-to at times in 2023, his limitations keep him down and it could be time to hang up the cleats.

8 . Larry Borom - Swing Tackle

My Grade: 54.1 (Poor)

PFF Grade: 48.0 (N/A)

Letter Grade: C-

The Bears swing tackle started six games in place of Braxton Jones. Larry Borom's season-long block success rate of 79.35% ranked eighth on the team. He recorded an above-average rep on only 15.4% of snaps, which ranked seventh on the team. Further, he recorded negative reps on 20.6% of snaps, the second-highest rate on the team.

In my opinion, Borom is an average swing tackle but not a starting-caliber player. He's good enough to play without having many lapses in pass protection. But he struggles against better pass rushers and doesn't offer much push as a run blocker. The Bears could stand to improve here, but I don't think it's a priority either.

9 . Dan Feeney - Backup Center

My Grade: 56.1 (Poor)

PFF Grade: 48.0 (N/A)

Letter Grade: C-

Feeney played the majority of snaps in only two games, so we'll keep this one brief. His season-long block success rate of 82.76% ranked fifth on the team. He recorded an above-average rep on only 10.3% of snaps, which ranked last on the team. Further, he recorded negative reps on 17.2% of snaps, the fifth-best rate on the team. But that's a high negative rep rate considering how low his positive rep rate is.

Feeney was brought in as insurance when the Bears had uncertainty at the center position early in the season. I don't expect there to be much of a future for him in Chicago unless it's in a reserve role. The Bears might be better off seeking out developmental talent at the position. Thank you for your service, Dan. You and your mullet are Chicago legends.