Chicago Bears Draft: 3 players immediately boosted by Justin Fields

Charles Leno may not look as weak when Justin Fields is under center

For a couple of years now, left tackle Charles Leno has looked to be on the down swing. His performance has been a far cry from the 2018 campaign when he appeared in the Pro Bowl. Everything went right during the regular season that year, though. So, maybe his performance was a mirage, in the end.

Leno has been caught blocking absolutely nobody more times than I can keep track of over the past two seasons. It seems as though every game, Leno has one play where he stands up and looks around wondering who to block — meanwhile, the quarterback is getting drilled to the ground.

Fortunately, Fields is a whole lot more mobile than either Trubisky or Foles were. It was easier to see Leno’s weaknesses with Foles under center, but he was not even mediocre with Trubisky as the starter.

Fields gives this entire offense a boost because of his legs. If Leno breaks down and can’t keep up, Fields is more able to get out of trouble than any of the previous few Bears quarterbacks.

Now, that said, Chicago very well could replace Leno today or tomorrow with one or two tackles drafted. The Bears’ weakest point on their roster now lies at offensive tackle, and Pace knows that. If Leno starts at either tackle position this coming season, though, he’ll be better off. The tape may show mistakes, but Fields will do a great job making up for them.