Blocking Bears: Ranking the Offensive Line Through Week 10

In this article, we will rank the Bears' offensive linemen based on their performances through Week 10. 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.

1. Teven Jenkins - Right Guard / Left Guard

Previous Rank: 1 (no change)

Teven Jenkins remains in the top spot with a grade of 69.5. Was there ever a doubt that he wouldn't be ranked No. 1? Since returning from injury, Jenkins has looked like a foundational piece for the group. And his dominance has only grown since returning to the right side of the line. Maybe Jenkins can transfer the same level of play back to the left side. Time will tell.

Jenkins has yet to record a sub-70 pass-blocking grade from me for any individual game. While the dominant moments are still clear in the run game, he also tends to have more miscues in the run game. 

Jenkins has a season-long block success rate of 88.7%, ranking first on the team. He has recorded an above-average rep on 23.9% of snaps while limiting negative reps to only 11.3% of plays. He ranks third on the team in above-average play rate and has the lowest below-average play rate on the team. The growing consistency from Jenkins has been the highlight of the season, to this point.

2. Braxton Jones - Left Tackle

Previous Rank: 2 (no change)

The Bears starting left tackle, Braxton Jones, comes in second with a 67.7 blocking grade. He was off to a strong start in pass protection before a neck injury sidelined him. But the big man returned to the starting lineup in Week 9 and has continued to impress for the most part.

The primary issue for Jones this season has been penalties. He has accumulated seven penalties over four games. That has driven down his final grade a fair amount. As has his run blocking, which has been relatively average. But his pass-blocking has been the best on the team.

Jones' block success rate of 82.7% ranks third on the team but remains well below the rates of Jenkins and Nate Davis. He has recorded above-average reps 31.7% of the time, ranking first on the team by a wide margin. While his negative rep rate is a little elevated at 17.3%. That ranks as the third lowest rate on the team but is still considerably higher than the rates of Jenkins and Davis.

Consistency is the name of the game here. While Jones has shown plenty to like, he needs more consistency in his play.

3. Nate Davis - Right Guard

Previous Rank: 3 (no change)

The injured Nate Davis remains near the top of the rankings with a 65.6 grade. He is expected back in the starting lineup at left guard on Sunday. This means we will see the Bears' intended starting offensive line for the first time this season. Davis has never played on the left side in his career, so I understand moving Jenkins back to left guard. But to say I fully support it would be a lie. I think Jenkins has played better on the right side. He has been a game-changing talent at that spot.

Before the injury, Davis provided a consistent presence for the Bears in pass protection and as a run blocker. His block success rate of 86% ranks second on the team. He has recorded above-average reps 23.7% of the time and limited negative reps to only 14% of plays, ranking fourth and second on the team, respectively.

4. Darnell Wright - Right Tackle

Previous Rank: 4 (no change)

Remaining in the fourth slot is Darnell Wright with a 61.5 grade. Last week, I mentioned that the secret was out about Wright's shoulder injury. The Carolina Panthers got the memo.

For much of Week 10, the Panthers attacked Jenkins' outside shoulder and Wright's inside shoulder with Derrick Brown. Wright's inability to effectively help with Brown led to more difficult assignments for Jenkins. While Wright has shown enough ability to continue to play through the limitations, it's a weak point that I expect opponents to attack until the injury is healed. And while I consider these performances admirable, they still result in below-average performance grades.

Wright's season-long block success rate has declined weekly since the injury. His success rate of 80.5% ranks fifth on the team. He has recorded an above-average rep on 24.4% of snaps, ranking second only behind Jones. Meanwhile, Wright has recorded negative reps on 19.5% of plays, the fourth-highest rate on the team.

At this point, I hope to see a fully healthy Wright playing again this season. It's not fun watching him play through shoulder limitations.

5. Lucas Patrick - Center

Previous Rank: 6 (+1)

Lucas Patrick improved one spot in the rankings with a grade of 56.1. Against the Panthers, he turned in his best performance of the season. On one hand, he was going up against a mediocre defensive line missing its best pass rusher. But on the other hand, he did have to deal with star DT Derrick Brown on occasion.

With Patrick, things like his fight, effort, and desire are never in question. I respect how he plays the game of football despite his limitations. But even in his stronger performances, it's clear that his ceiling is limited. Patrick can be a solid player on a strong offensive line. But on an average offensive line, his limitations as a run blocker and handling power tend to be exposed.

Patrick's block success rate of 80.59% ranks fourth on the team. This time last week, he ranked seventh in the same category. He has recorded an above-average rep on 19.2% of snaps, which ranks sixth on the team. Meanwhile, he has recorded a negative rep on 19.4% of snaps, the fourth-lowest rate on the team. This is another stat where he jumped up the board, ranking seventh just a week ago.

6. Ja'Tyre Carter - Left / Right Guard

Previous Rank: 5 (-1)

Carter did not see any snaps against the Panthers but fell one spot due to an excellent performance from Patrick. On the season, he has a grade of 54.1. In his limited opportunities, the second-year player has shown promise in pass protection with lightning-quick hands and an aggressive demeanor. But the flashes in pass protection do not outweigh the miscues as a run blocker, where he needs to become more consistent to see more playtime. 

His block success rate of 75.9% ranks last on the team. But he has recorded an above-average rep on 21.7% of snaps, which ranks fifth on the team. Although, he has recorded negative reps on 24.1% of snaps, the worst rate on the team. Carter has flashed often, but those flashes do not outweigh the negatives yet.

7. Cody Whitehair - Left Guard

Previous Rank: 7 (no change)

Cody Whitehair ranks seventh with a grade of 51.7. Against the Panthers, Whitehair turned in his second-best pass protection performance of the season. But, once again, it was not enough to mask what has become typical of him as a run blocker. Whitehair does not 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 against Carolina, his limitations continue to keep him down.

Whitehair's block success rate of 80.12% ranks sixth on the team. But he has only recorded an above-average rep on 13.4% of snaps, ranking last on the team by a wide margin. Further, he has recorded negative reps on 19.84% of snaps, the third-highest rate on the team. You can live with a high negative play rate for a player who offers game-changing moments. But that has never been Whitehair's game, and his ability to provide those moments has dwindled with age.

8. Larry Borom - Swing Tackle

Previous Rank: 8 (no change)

The Bears swing tackle started six games in place of Braxton Jones. Larry Borom has recorded a grade of 49.9 on the season. His grade is a little lower than my opinion of him due to the games against the New Orleans Saints and Los Angeles Chargers. I view Borom as an above-average swing tackle but not a starting-caliber player. He's good enough to play without having many lapses in pass protection. But he does not offer much push as a run blocker and is overmatched against star talent. 

Borom's season-long block success rate of 79.35% ranks seventh on the team. He has recorded an above-average rep on only 15.4% of snaps, which ranks second to last on the team. Further, he has recorded negative reps on 20.7% of snaps, the second-highest rate on the team.

Final Thoughts

Through 10 games, the Chicago Bears' best five offensive linemen are Teven Jenkins, Braxton Jones, Nate Davis, Darnell Wright, and Lucas Patrick. And wouldn't you know it? That is EXACTLY who will be starting on Sunday against the Detroit Lions. The Bears have not had the luxury of all five starting offensive linemen playing a game together this season. So, Bears fans, we have that going for us. Plus, the Bears finally get Justin Fields back. The excitement is palpable.