NEWSLETTER
Even when the Chicago Bears didn’t have much going for them on the offensive side of the ball, you could always trust that a successful running game was going to be a staple of any happiness the unit could find. Naturally, that means the team was always going to have some pretty strong run-blockers leading the way … and the 2017 season was no exception.
Austin Gayle of Pro Football Focus offers up the NFL’s five best linemen at each position based on run-block success percentage, and Cody Whitehair, Kyle Long, and Charles Leno Jr. each made the cut at their respective positions. And considering Jordan Howard’s back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons in his first two years in the league, that should come as no surprise.
Cody Whitehair will most likely stay at center in 2018, and that’s great news, because moving a talented player around the line was evidently a mistake that caused him to take an overall step back in his development. Whitehair was most comfortable at center and it showed in his run-blocking prowess. His 17.6 percent run-block success rate was the best on the Bears and and fourth best among NFL centers in 2017. Whitehair’s 81.8 run-blocking grade when playing that position was the fifth best among his peers. Everything points to the fact that Whitehair should stick at center in 2018 (and beyond), and that probably won’t be lost on his new position coach Harry Hiestand.
It also shouldn’t be surprising to see Kyle Long check in among the best guards. Long’s 16.7 run-block success percentage was the third-highest among guards this season. This number was 2.8 percentage points above his career average, which is most impressive if you think about how injuries slowed Long this season and limited him to just 447 offensive snaps.
The three-time Pro Bowl lineman has been a mauler in the run game since his rookie season, but injuries have slowed him down in recent years. He is expected to be ready to give it a full-go when training camp starts, and his return will certainly be a welcome addition to the running game.
Even left tackle Charles Leno Jr. finds his way into the group of top run-blockers. Sure, Leno is often tasked with protecting quarterback Mitch Trubisky’s blindside, but his run-blocking ability shouldn’t be overlooked. Leno’s 12.4 percent run-block success rate was the fifth best among tackles last season, a year in which he earned a career-best 80.4 grade from PFF. His 82.3 run-blocking grade was the 14th best among the 86 tackles who qualified for the leaderboard. Not to shabby for a former seventh-round pick.
While we prepare ourselves to see a Bears offense that will put an additional emphasis on the passing game, it should go without saying that the team shouldn’t abandon the run altogether.
Not with a running back tandem as skilled as Jordan Howard and Tarik Cohen. And definitely not with an offensive line that boasts three of the game’s best run blockers.
