Bears left tackle Braxton Jones is entering his second NFL season, where he’s taking one a new leadership role.
Last season, Jones was the new kid on the block as a fifth-round rookie out of Southern Utah. He quickly worked his way up the depth chart during the offseason, and he eventually started every snap at left tackle for Chicago in 2022.
Now, Jones is working on his own growth at left tackle, as well as helping first-round rookie right tackle Darnell Wright in his acclimation to the pro game.
“There’s a little bit of a different role I’ve taken,” Jones said on ESPN 1000’s Waddle & Silvy. “Obviously, Darnell Wright was taken in the first round. Trying to help him out a little bit in this offseason during OTAs. I still got a crap ton of work to do myself.”
Jones has discussed the importance of getting the game to slow down for Wright as a rookie, where the speed and strength of NFL edge rushers came at Jones fast during his rookie season.
According to Jones, the key for Wright will be getting the game to slow down and building up his size and strength in his journey to becoming a long-term starting tackle for the Bears.