Top 25 most important Bears in 2023: No. 9 Braxton Jones
We're counting down the top 25 most important Bears for the 2023 season.
What makes one player more important than another? That's subjective, of course. But for our purposes it comes down to this: Are the Bears worse off if this player can't play? Does this player have untapped potential or past greatness to live up to? Is his story going to be one fans follow closely this season?
The best player on the team isn't always the most important, but he certainly can be. We will release one player every day between now and the start of training camp.
No. 9 Braxton Jones
Position: Left tackle
NFL experience: Second season
Last year's ranking: N/A
Looking back: The Bears selected Southern Utah tackle Braxton Jones with a fifth-round draft pick (168th overall) last year. Jones had been a raw prospect coming out of high school with few college opportunities, but his coaches at Southern Utah saw the athletic potential and molded him into a starting tackle. Jones was used to being doubted, and he took that approach with him to Chicago, where rookie expectations were lukewarm. He blew all expectations out of the water when he earned the starting left tackle job and started all 17 games protecting Justin Fields' blind side.
Jones was the only offensive player who played every snap of the 2022 season. He had ups and downs throughout the year, as any rookie might. During one particular late-season game at Detroit, Jones allowed multiple sacks in what was a low-point for him. But overall, he fared much better than anyone expected out of a fifth-round rookie from an FCS school. He played well enough to earn All-Rookie honors from the Pro Football Writers of America.
Looking forward: Jones' No. 1 nemesis as a rookie was the bull rush. When opponents came full-steam right at him, Jones sometimes wound up backpedaling, collapsing the pocket around the quarterback. Handling the bull rush has been a big focus of his offseason. The keys for him will be staying low with a strong base, using his hands properly and reacting quicker. If he can prove he can handle a bull rush, Jones has the potential to be a really good NFL tackle.
The left tackle job appears to be his to lose in 2022. The Bears drafted Darnell Wright at No. 10 overall with the express purpose of playing him at right tackle. Wright could play left tackle, but the majority of his college experience was on the right side. If Jones returns as an even better left tackle during his second season, the Bears will find themselves in tremendous shape on the offensive line. Having two young tackles on rookie contracts for the next several years could give the front office the ability to spend money elsewhere. It would also go a long way toward keeping Fields healthy.