Draft Profile: Darnell Wright

Following the 2022 season, the Chicago Bears had the worst record in the NFL and acquired the number one pick for the NFL draft. With the Bears already having their future quarterback in Justin Fields and countless holes in their roster, there was much speculation on which direction they would go: edge? Offensive line? Linebacker? Then, the draft changed when the Bears traded the number one pick to the Carolina Panthers for four draft picks, including the number nine pick in this year’s draft, and wide receiver DJ Moore. After this, it seemed more and more likely that the Bears were going to take an offensive lineman. However, come draft day, as it got closer to the Bears’ pick, defensive tackle Jalen Carter from the University of Georgia was still on the board. Carter’s draft stock had dropped after his unimpressive Pro-Day and arrest earlier in the year, and Bears fans were ecstatic about the prospect of getting this generational talent. However, just before their pick, the Bears traded back yet again with the Philadelphia Eagles for an extra pick in the fourth round next year and the Eagles took Carter. Finally, it was the Bears’ turn to draft. With the 10th pick in the 2023 NFL draft, the Chicago Bears took Darnell Wright, offensive tackle from the University of Tennessee.

Wright is a 6-foot-6, 335 pound monster offensive tackle. Coming out of high school, Wright was a five-star recruit and received offers from Alabama, Georgia, and West Virginia, among others, before committing to Tennessee. During his freshman year in 2019, Wright started five games at right tackle and two games at right guard, appearing in 11 games total. He earned Freshman All-SEC Honors for the season. During the 2020 season, Wright started nine games at right tackle and played in 10 total. During his junior season in 2021, Wright started all 13 games at left tackle, playing an important role in an offense that set several school records. By his senior season in 2022, Wright had established himself to be the best offensive tackle in the SEC. He started all 13 games at right tackle, and unanimously earned first-team All-SEC Honors. Wright was also selected as a finalist for Rotary Lombardi Award, given to the best offensive lineman of the year.

Wright’s biggest advantage is his size. He has undeniable power, heavy hands, and a strong stance. Even with this size, Wright still has impressive balance and agility for a big-man. Wright has a very physical style of playing, and mixes up his style of strike to keep defenders on their toes. He is aggressive, relentless, and a master of uprooting defenders. In terms of weaknesses, Wright still needs to work on his footwork, as well as his patience on contact. He has a bad tendency of dipping his head upon contact, leading to overextension. However, with more discipline and practice, these issues are fixable.

Although a pick that many Bears fans are excited about, some wonder why did Poles go with Wright over offensive lineman Peter Skoronski out of Northwestern and Jalen Carter. Carter is a generational talent, and Skoronski’s fundamentals are considered a work of art. But Poles and the Bears organization say Wright is the “full package.” During a private workout at Tennessee, Poles and offensive line coach Chris Morgan pushed Wright to his limit and loved what they saw: he was aggressive, had unbelievable mental toughness, and was up for any challenge. The Bears already loved Wright after his senior season, but this experience put him over-the-top on the Bears’ draft board.

Overall, this was a great pick by the Bears. Passing up on Jalen Carter was a tough pill for many fans to swallow, but Poles has shown confidence and savviness as a general manager thus far, and there is no doubt that finding protection for Fields needed to be on the top of the Bears’ to-do list. There is still work to be done, however, as the last several first round draft picks by the Bears have been busts, with the exception of Roquan Smith who is no longer on the team. Hopefully Wright will put a stop to this trend, and be a dominant and protective force on the line for years to come.