Chicago Bears trade up for Teven Jenkins, aggressively protect Fields

Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Pace continued to wheel and deal in the 2021 NFL Draft. He moved up in the second round to select offensive lineman Teven Jenkins.

Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Pace continued his aggressive attack on the 2021 NFL Draft. He moved up in the first round from 20th overall to 11th overall. In Round 2, he again moved up, this time going from No. 52 to 39.

Trading with the Carolina Panthers this time, the Bears gave up the No. 52, 83 and 204 picks while getting back the 39th pick along with the No. 151 selection as well, which will be the next time they’ll be on the clock after all the trades once they made the early second-round pick.

With the 39th overall pick, Pace selected former Oklahoma State offensive tackle Teven Jenkins.

This is another great pick for Pace. Many experts felt if the Bears stayed at No. 20, they’d go after Jenkins. However, Pace was able to move up to get his franchise quarterback in Justin Fields and saw Jenkins fall into the second round. He then made the move to go up and get his offensive lineman.

Jenkins brings a lot of nastiness, something the Bears’ offensive line is missing. He wants to obliterate and humiliate his opponent. He can do that with his 6-6, 320-pound frame and incredible upper body strength. In addition, he has a very strong punch to knock defenders off balance. He uses great hand placement to counter whatever moves a pass rusher has to show.

Don’t underestimate Jenkins’ lower body strength. He churns his legs when he’s on a defender and moves that body backward. Additionally, those tree trunks help him stop pass rushers cold.

ESPN’s draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. spoke on Jenkins’ play, per ChicagoBears.com:

"He’s got that aggressiveness to blow you off the ball in the run game. He did a great job against some highly-skilled pass rushers at that right tackle spot. He could also maybe be a left tackle."

Jenkins has plenty of experience. He played in 37 games, 35 of them starts. He’s played both positions on the right side. On the left side, he’s played some at tackle. He’s also snapped some so he’s ready to step in an emergency.

Jenkins is very athletic despite his size. He gets off the snap quickly and on pulls he gets to the second level easily.

In run blocking, Jenkins excels as well. He jumps off the snap and gets his hands inside and moves bodies. He doesn’t just move them, though, he sends them to another zip code. Running back David Montgomery will certainly see a lot of holes open up for his runs.

Jenkins will battle Germain Ifedi for the starting right tackle job. We all know that Jenkins is the future for the Bears so it’s a matter of when he’ll take over rather than if he takes over. In any case, the offensive line will have much more depth with some starters from last season now in a backup role.

The Chicago Bears are known as a team filled with physical, nasty players on the offensive line. Jenkins brings that nastiness back and on the field he is a tone-setter. He’ll be a leader both on the field and in the locker room. He’s a great addition to the roster.