Chicago Bears gamble on Teven Jenkins as left tackle starter

The Chicago Bears have so much confidence in second-round draft pick Teven Jenkins that they cut veteran Charles Leno so the rookie can take over but that could be a huge gamble.

By all accounts, the Chicago Bears did a great job in last weekend’s 2021 NFL Draft. General manager Ryan Pace got his franchise quarterback in Justin Fields through a first-round trade. He also drafted two mean and nasty offensive linemen to bolster the offensive line. Additionally, he added players who add depth in the wide receivers corps and on defense. All in all, Pace had a great draft, even if it was just on paper.

One of the linemen that Pace drafted was through another trade, this time in the second round. He moved up from No. 52 to 39 to pick up Teven Jenkins out of Oklahoma State. Many draft experts expected the Bears to draft Jenkins with the 20th overall pick if they stayed there.

Getting their quarterback in the first round then seeing the prospect they liked earlier available in the second round was a home run for Chicago.

Pace was almost giddy when talking about Jenkins and his abilities. Here is what he said about finding Jenkins available in the second round, via Windy City Gridiron:

"We had first-round grades on (Jenkins). That’s why, second round, especially that position, that player, we wanted to make sure we got him."

While talking about Jenkins, Pace also gave us a clue on his plan for the rookie.

"He’s got the athletic ability to get to the second level and block in space. In pass pro, a really good anchor, so he handles power really well."

The Chicago Bears really like Teven Jenkins

How high are the Bears on Jenkins’ abilities? Well, Pace mentioned that while he was primarily a right tackle, he also said Jenkins played some left tackle as well. That ended up being a foreshadow of what the Bears would do next.

To start the post-draft week, the Chicago Bears cut veteran Chalres Leno Jr. Leno was a staple on the offensive line. He was the Bear’ seventh-round draft pick in 2014. He not only worked his way to the roster, but he also found a way to start 102 games, 93 of them consecutively.

Leno took some grief for his penalties and some struggles in pass protection. He did do well in run blocking, however. The Bears running attack averaged nearly five yards per rush on his side.

The Bears didn’t feel it was enough to keep Leno with Jenkins on the roster. They decided to cut Leno and hand the job to the rookie. That’s high praise for a rookie who started just seven games at left tackle in college.

The Chicago Bears are taking a gamble with starting Teven Jenkins

The Bears really gambled the success of the offensive line on Jenkins’ shoulders. He has an outgoing personality and he’ll eventually be a great leader. His toughness is something the Bears’ offensive line has sorely lacked. When you have the personality and the toughness, the other members of the line follow your lead. Despite being a rookie, he’ll exert some leadership on that line.

In addition to that leadership, Jenkins needs to pick up the nuances of playing left tackle. He’ll face the best defensive ends in the world on a weekly basis. That’s a lot for him to deal with. He’ll have to learn things on the fly.

Also, with Leno now gone, Jenkins won’t have someone in camp to mentor him. He’s the guy. Because of that, offensive line coach Juan Castillo will have a huge responsibility to coach Jenkins up. Jenkins has the tools to be good. Castillo needs to help the rookie put it together quickly. Castillo will be a big part of why this gamble works out.

Of course, Jenkins could turn out to be exactly what the Bears envisioned and be an anchor for a decade. If that happens, the 2021 NFL Draft could be seen as the start of a new era of Chicago Bears football.