The Chicago Bears held their rookie mini-camp this past weekend, with almost all of the attention paid to first-round quarterback Justin Fields. Although Fields and wide receiver Dazz Newsome were the most talked-about rookies during the weekend, it is significant to focus on the two rookies who are the most likely to start week one, in offensive tackles Teven Jenkins and Larry Borom. History has shown that overhaul changes to the Bears' offensive line have worked out for the team.

The 2013 Bears Started Two Rookie Offensive Linemen And Had Success

General manager Ryan Pace and the Bears have high expectations for both Jenkins and Borom, given that the team traded a large number of picks to move up to get the second-round tackle. They also released veteran Pro Bowl tackle Charles Leno Jr., a few days after the draft, to provide cap relief. Head coach Matt Nagy is open to giving both rookie tackles the chance to win a starting position heading into the season. If the rookie tackles become week one starters, it won't be the first time the team started multiple rookie offensive linemen to start the season. In 2013, Bears' general manager Phil Emery drafted offensive guard Kyle long with the team's first-round selection and later drafted right tackle Jordan Mills in the seventh round. Both Long and Mills were a part of a Bears offensive line that featured four new starters on the line heading into a season, including Pro Bowl tackle Jermon Bushrod and Matt Slauson.

The 2013 Chicago Bears are remembered for having the best offense in franchise history as they set many franchise records and were the second-best offense in the NFL that season behind a historic Denver Broncos offense led by Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning. All five offensive linemen started every game that season except for the season finale against the Green Bay Packers, in which Mills broke his foot in pre-game warm-ups. One of the main reasons why the Bears' offense was so successful in 2013 was due to the quality play of their offensive line. Chicago's offensive line allowed quarterbacks Jay Cutler and Josh McCown to be sacked only 30 times in the season. That was 16 sacks less than what the 2012 Chicago Bears' offensive line allowed the previous season. The feat is especially noteworthy given that the right side of the offensive line featured rookies in both Long and Mills.

It wasn't just the pass protection that the 2013 offensive line excelled at, but they also excelled when it came to run-blocking. Pro Bowl running back Matt Forte had the best rushing season of his career as he rushed for 1,339 and nine touchdowns. Forte averaged 4.6 yards per carry and had four rushes of 50 yards or longer. Mills and Long did not appear inexperienced or overmatched during the season, which is a rarity for rookie offensive linemen who start in their first season. https://youtu.be/jgevVdBD3GE

An Improved Offensive Line Could Make a Massive Difference For The Bears In 2021

It would be a bold decision for head coach Matt Nagy to have Jenkins and Borom as the team's starting offensive tackles to start the 2021 season and responsible for protecting starting quarterback Andy Dalton. Many draft analysts and scouts are high on the potential of the second-round offensive tackle from Oklahoma State, other scouts believe the Missouri offensive tackle taken in the fifth-round could be a draft steal if he can overcome conditioning issues. The Bears have proven interior offensive linemen in James daniels, Cody Whitehair, and Alex Bars capable of offsetting the potential inexperience the rookies could face if they are the team's starting tackles.

The Bears will have quality players at the skill position with David Montgomery at running back, Allen Robinson at wide receiver, and Cole Kmet at tight end. If the Bears can improve on both their pass-blocking and run-blocking, which has been highly inconsistent the last two seasons, it could make a significant difference. Protecting Dalton could lead to a more efficient offense leading to more scoring drives. Having just a few more offensive drives extended and leading to points will make a difference for a Bears' team that has finished the last two seasons with 8-8 records. In the previous two seasons, Chicago has lost seven games by a score of seven points or less. With one more drive that yields a field goal or touchdown prolonged by improved play by the offensive line, the Bears could have a winning record in 2021.

All the focus in training camp and pre-season will be the debut and play of Fields at quarterback. Overlook will be the development of both Jenkins and Borom, whose presence could be more influential on the team's performance, especially early on. Even when Fields becomes the Bears' starting quarterback, it will be the rookie tackles responsible for protecting the most important player on the team.