Chicago Bears: 15 best NFL Draft Picks of the 2010’s

Very rarely is it that a seventh-round draft pick rises to become a starting left tackle in the NFL. However, Charles Leno Jr. has done just that over the last six years. After playing in just six games as a rookie with one start, Leno burst onto the scene in 2015 with 13 starts. Since then, he’s proved to be durable and started all 48 games between 2016 and 2018.

Despite the fact that some will look at Leno and claim he’s a guy who gets tons of penalties, it can also be argued that he’s merely the victim of some questionable calls by referees. However, prior to 2019, he was still a guy who was playing at a high level and not getting enough credit.

What most forget about Leno is that he’s a guy who’s one of two players on the Bears offensive line that is still here from the Marc Trestman days. The other player is veteran Kyle Long who’s also been a major contributor for the Bears offense throughout the 2010s.

Leno has all but proven that he’s a part of the Bears future. Currently, he is under contract until the end of the 2021 season. At just 27 years old, it seems like he’ll have a chance at earning a second contract with the Bears and end up being a part of the Chicago Bears franchise for life.