Justin Fields is the most important Chicago Bears draft pick in recent team history, but the 2021 NFL Draft provided the club with another player who is a critical piece to their rebuilding project in second-round pick, Teven Jenkins. The rookie offensive tackle missed all of training camp and the first 13 games of the season before making a forgettable debut in Week 14’s loss to the Green Bay Packers. But in Monday night’s game against the Minnesota Vikings, he looked very much like the Bears’ future at left tackle.
Jenkins was the Bears’ fourth-highest graded player on offense, per Pro Football Focus, and while his 67.2 grade is far from elite, it was a significant improvement from his Week 14 score of 25.0. His performance was actually better than his final grade indicates, too. Jenkins earned an 81.6 for his pass blocking and a 78.6 for his effort in the run game. His final grade was impacted by three penalties, bringing his total to seven yellow flags in two games.
