When Bears general manager Ryan Poles chooses to single out players, it’s significant. So when he praised rookie left tackle Braxton Jones after being asked about the offensive line, it felt important.
Jones, who was drafted in the fifth round, played an integral role on the offensive line this season. He worked his way up the depth chart during the offseason before cementing himself as the clear-cut starter at left tackle in 2022.
Jones is the only Bears player to play every snap this season, and he was one of the more reliable guys along the offensive line. Pro Football Focus graded Jones as Chicago’s second best offensive player, where he earned strong marks in run blocking (79.4) and pass protection (70.5). Jones was the 12th highest-graded rookie in the entire NFL.
Now that’s what you call getting value in the fifth round.
Poles praised Jones for his impressive rookie season, which included plenty of highs and lows. But he also noted that Jones still has plenty of work to do to become the player the organization believes he can be.
“I was proud of Braxton,” Poles said in his end of year press conference. “He’s got a long ways to go to reach his ceiling. But for his path, and if you look at — not many people look at the schedule for a player who goes into the off-season, Senior Bowl, combine, comes in as a fifth-round pick, battles through camp, gets a spot and then plays every single snap through a season. That’s an accomplishment right there. That tells me he’s wired right. He’s got mental toughness, rode the ups and downs.
“I’m hoping that he continues to work on his body, his technique, and that’s someone we can play with and be successful with for a while.”
Heading into the 2023 offseason, it’s clear that there are no starting jobs guaranteed. But when listening to Poles talk about Jones, it’s evident that he thinks highly of Jones. While it’s difficult to predict what this Bears offensive line will look like come 2023, it’s hard not to imagine Jones will be a factor.
