Getty Head coach Matt Eberflus Chicago Bears speaks to the media during minicamp in June 2023.
The Chicago Bears are looking to make a huge leap forward in 2023, which could begin with a couple of emerging stars on the roster.
Heavy’s NFL insider Matt Lombardo produced a list of the next first-time All-Pro selections at every position, which included two Bears players, one on each side of the football — middle linebacker Tremaine Edmunds and left guard Teven Jenkins.
Chicago signed Edmunds to a four-year, $72 million contract in March, which qualifies easily as the team’s biggest blockbuster add on defense this offseason. Jenkins, meanwhile, is entering his third season with the team after a somewhat tumultuous start to his NFL career, which has included injury issues and a position change from right guard to left guard for the upcoming year.
Tremaine Edmunds Poised to Leap From Pro Bowler to All-Pro After Joining Bears
GettyMiddle linebacker Tremaine Edmunds of the Chicago Bears stretches during OTAs in May 2023.
Edmunds has been a starter since entering the NFL as a first-round pick (No. 16 overall) with the Buffalo Bills in 2018. He has missed only eight regular season games across his five-year career, starting all 74 of the contests in which he has played.
The linebacker is a two-time Pro Bowler, earning those honors in 2019 and 2020. He is strong against the run and the pass, amassing 35 pass breakups, 18 quarterback hits, 6.5 sacks, five interceptions and two forced fumbles over the course of his professional tenure, per Pro Football Reference.
“Edmunds arrives in Chicago coming off the most dominant season of his prolific career. Once again surpassing 100 total tackles, Edmunds produced a team-high 101 [tackles] while holding opposing quarterbacks to a passer rating of just 87.1. All that, only to leave Buffalo without a contract extension,” Lombardo wrote. “Given Edmunds’ productivity, his talent and the added motivation that comes with being spurned by your former team, expect big things from the centerpiece of the Bears’ revamped defense in 2023.”
Bears to Rely Heavily on Teven Jenkins to Boost Offense This Season
GettyChicago Bears offensive guard Teven Jenkins blocks during a game against the Minnesota Vikings in December 2021.
Jenkins has bounced around Chicago’s offensive line since the Bears selected him in the second round (No. 39 overall) of the 2021 NFL Draft.
He started off his career playing at the offensive tackle position, appearing in six games and earning two starts. Last season, Jenkins played in 13 games, starting 11 of those, and primarily functioned as the team’s right guard. He will transition to left guard in 2023 after Chicago signed Nate Davis, formerly of the Tennessee Titans, to a three-year, $30 million deal in March.
Jenkins proved the Bears correct in their decision to transition him to the inside of the offensive front, as he earned an overall player grade of 80.7 from Pro Football Focus (PFF) in 2022, which included a run-blocking grade of 82.2 and a pass-blocking grade of 65.9. Those analytics ranked Jenkins as the third-best guard in the NFL out of 77 players who played enough snaps to qualify at the position.
“Teven Jenkins is a road grader up front in the running game, a tactician in pass protection and one of the anchors of the Chicago Bears‘ offensive line,” Lombardo wrote. “Last season, Jenkins only allowed 2.0 sacks and 12 quarterback pressures. He’s already on the cusp of breaking through as an All-Pro, and if the Bears’ offense makes major strides, this could be his season to crack the list.”
