The Chicago Bears’ offensive line performed better than expected last season, but quality depth remains a serious concern across the board.
The left tackle position, which Braxton Jones has filled for the previous two seasons and will be addressed in the third round of the 2024 NFL draft with the pick of Kiran Amegadjie (No. 75 overall), has frequently been the focus of conversations about where and how the Bears might improve the offensive line. However, a swing-guard with starting potential might — and should — be the front office’s top objective this summer.
Teven Jenkins was a borderline-elite left-handed player last season, but he missed five games and six starts after missing four games and six starts in 2022. According to Pro Football Focus (PFF), Nate Davis was considerably less productive when he played on the right side, and he did it seldom (11 starts and 11 outings across 17 regular season games).
Chicago acquired Ryan Bates in a deal with the Buffalo Bills for a fifth-round pick, but significant value remains on the free-agent market to improve a critical unit even more, specifically in the form of 2023 Minnesota Vikings starter Dalton Risner.
On May 13, the Bleacher Report Scouting Department highlighted Risner as a “realistic target” for the Bears.
“Risner, who has 73 career starts on his resumé, is one of the top linemen still available and would give Chicago a starting-caliber option on the interior,” BR stated.
Dalton Risner Has Been Quality Starter Across 5-Year NFL Career With Broncos, Vikings
Risner is still available late into the free agency season for the second year in a row, which usually indicates a player with substantial deficiencies or serious question marks. However, Risner believes he is an exception that proves the norm in the NFL.
“I’m a guy that realizes I’m not the best guard in the league, but I know this — I’ve started 75 games in my five-year career,” Risner told WIBW13, a Kansas CBS station, in mid-April. “I don’t skip games because of injury, and I certainly don’t miss them for any other reason. I’m a guy you can count on every Sunday. I’m going to be the first in the pile; I’m going to hustle and work my buttocks off.”
Risner has started 73 of 77 games in his five-year career, which began as a second-round pick by the Denver Broncos out of Kansas State in 2019. He joined the Vikings in Week 3 of last season, swiftly making his way into the starting lineup and staying there for the remainder of the season.
He played for Minnesota last year on a $3 million contract after making slightly more than $7 million during his four-year rookie stint in Denver.
Bears’ Offensive Line Slightly Below NFL Average in 2023, Partly Due to Injury
Risner, who will be 29 years old this season, is likely looking for a multiyear contract, which could explain why he has yet to sign anyplace as May gives way to June. Chicago has $22.7 million in leftover salary cap space for the 2024 campaign, allowing them to pay Risner a decent sum while still providing value to the franchise.
How the Bears spend their money will be determined by how they feel about the left tackle position and who they can find to fill in as a quality pass rusher off the edge opposite Pro Bowler Montez Sweat. In general, however, the offensive line is expected to be a focus as summer approaches in Chicago.
The team received criticism for the unit’s often poor performance in 2023, albeit much of that was due to injuries, as Zoltán Buday of PFF noted in January.
“Key players Braxton Jones, Teven Jenkins, and Nate Davis all missed time early in the season, which took a toll on the Bears’ offensive line,” Buday wrote in an article ranking Chicago’s offensive line 19th in the league last year. “Once the young bunch was at full strength, it showed enough promise to give Bears fans hope for the future. Between Weeks 6 and 14, the front five rated 13th in pass-blocking efficiency.
Risner’s biggest strength in 2023 was pass-blocking, according to PFF, which might make him even more appealing as a free agent prospect to the Bears, especially given the relative contract value the organization should be able to find if it pursues the former Vikings guard.
