Bear Digest

Bears 2024 Training Camp Preview: A Youthful Ascension at Tackle

If right tackle Darnell Wright can lower his sacks allowed the way Braxton Jones did at left tackle last season, the Bears could have Caleb Williams well protected.

Gene Chamberlain

Bears tackle Darnell Wright blocks against Chargers linebacker Tuli Tuipulotu. Wright allowed seven sacks as a rookie.
Bears tackle Darnell Wright blocks against Chargers linebacker Tuli Tuipulotu. Wright allowed seven sacks as a rookie. / Jonathan Hui-USA TODAY Sports
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Much has been made of the best Bears wide receiver group in team history.

When rookies report July 16 and veterans on July 19, they'll also be looking at possibly their best outlook at offensive tackle since their last appearance in the Super Bowl. At least it's the most optimistic outlook at the position, because there is youth and they've performed well at the outset of their careers.

How important is this? After all, the last time they won a playoff game they did it with Frank Omiyale and J'Marcus Webb starting at tackle. That was in 2010 when they were within seven points or possibly a Jay Cutler knee injury of the Super Bowl.

Considering they've gone from a quarterback capable of fleeing backside edge rushers who have head start, it can make a difference. The Bears have two tackles rated in the top half of the league by Pro Football Focus and both are very young still. The future is bright at this spot, and it doesn't even take into account they just drafted Kiran Amegadjie, who has all the physical traits tackles need to excel.

Left tackle starter Braxton Jones has been called a breakout candidate by Pro Football Focus and right tackle Darnell Wright won the Piccolo Award . He also been forecasted as a breakout player in Year 2 by a few different websites.

"I think one of the main things for me is just staying confident in some of the abilities that I have," Wright said. "I feel like a little bit last year kind of just tried to start from scratch too much, just thinking that nothing would translate to the NFL. I don't think that's true anymore."

He's trusting himself more and will approach this season knowing the baseline after allowing seven sacks and committing 11 penalties.

"I've set the foundation, just build on those things," Wright said.

If he can lower his sack totals allowed in Year 2 the way Jones did in his second season, then the Bears will be in excellent position to protect Caleb Williams off the edge.

Jones also allowed seven sacks as a rookie and committed one more penalty, with 12. Last year he dropped his sacks allowed to two and penalties to nine.

Offensive line coach Chris Morgan saw Jones take a systematic approach last offseason to improvement and he's apparently ben at it again.

"He has a pretty detailed plan and it's pretty cool to see his growth because he can actually add to the plan, and he can actually talk through ways to attack the plan, which he couldn't really in Year 1," Morgan said. "It's just cool to see his growth.

"He knows what he has to work on and he's rolling."

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They've padded this duo with Amegadjie, who is starting from a huge experience deficit because he spent his offseason rehabbing his college injury (quad). However, there are other linemen signed to the roster like Jake Curhan and Matt Pryor, who have started at the position for teams in the past.

They also have swing tackle Larry Borom returning for a contract year after seeing the team bring in players who might be taking away his job.

Improvement is the key with this tackle group from the top of the depth chart down, and the pressure is on for all of them to take it up a level. It's usually that way when there is youthful optimism.

Bears Tackle Outlook

Starters: No. 70 Braxton Jones, No. 58 Darnell Wright

Backups: No. 72 Kiran Amgadjie, No. 75 Larry Borom, No. 73 Jake Curhan, No. 79 Matt Pryor*

Roster Hopefuls: No. 74 Aviante Collins, No. 62 Theo Benedet

*Also plays guard

Strengths: Depth and run blocking should be considered strengths, although Pro Football Focus did grade Jones' second year as a run blocker down from Year 1. The talent has been upgraded enough since Ryan Poles became GM that Borom will be severely challenged to make this roster and Pryor's experience at both guard and tackle makes him valuable for his swing potential on game days. Curhan is a player with offensive system experience from Seattle and could rate an edge in that regard. They're in a division where they would face only two of the top 20 rated PFF edge rushers, so it definitely could be tougher for developing players.

Weaknesses: Even with the year under Wright's belt, it's a young group lacking experience, with the top three possibly all players who weren't even in the NFL in 2021. Also, Jones was missing for a big chunk of last season so he isn't bringing in two full years as a starter. The other thing is the plan has changed. The blocking scheme emphasis has been altered somewhat since Jones came into the league and Wright was drafted. Can they adjust?

Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

BearDigest.com publisher Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.