The Chicago Bears have a new offensive lineman on the roster. They selected Tennessee offensive tackle Darnell Wright with the No. 10 overall pick, trading down one spot from the No. 9 spot with the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for a 2024 fourth-round draft pick.
Wright immediately fills a need at right tackle, where he spent during the 2022 season with the Volunteers. Wright is a powerful blocker who can drive defenders off their assignment with ease and should make life easier for quarterback Justin Fields after he was sacked 91 times over his first couple of years in the league. It’s general manager Ryan Poles’ first major addition to the offensive line since he was hired last offseason.
Here are five things to know about the Bears newest draft pick.
1
Will Anderson gave Wright high praise
Various draft analysts have praised Wright for his career at Tennessee, but how about praise coming from the top defensive player in this year’s draft? Alabama edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. went toe-to-toe with Wright when the Crimson Tide faced off against the Volunteers.
Anderson totaled just three tackles and no sacks, primarily lining up against Wright and called him the best tackle he’s faced while in college, noting how he improved going into last season. That should be music to Bears fans’ ears.
2
Wright allowed no sacks in 2022
In addition to stonewalling Anderson in the Alabama game, Wright pretty much stonewalled everyone else too. The newest Bear didn’t allow a single sack all season long. In fact, he’s just one of 14 FBS offensive linemen to have played over 850 snaps and not allow a sack while also having an effiency rating of over 99.0, according to Pro Football Focus via The Knoxville News Sentinel. It’s an impressive feat for any player, but especially one playing in the SEC.
3
Luke Getsy coached him at the Senior Bowl
A prominent Bears coach had a front-row seat to a key performance for Wright. Offensive coordinator Luke Getsy was one of the coaches at this year’s Senior Bowl, specifically for the American team. One of his players was Wright, who shined all throughout practice and in the actual game. It’s safe to say after getting a closer look at him, Getsy didn’t have major concerns with the team drafting Wright.
4
One analyst says he can be the best player in the entire draft
ESPN NFL analyst Louis Riddick has been beating the drum for Wright for quite a while. He told ESPN 1000’s Waddle & Silvy show last week that he would take Wright at No. 9 overall if he were the Bears. He doubled down on his praise for him just after he was selected while on the ESPN draft set.
“I believe he can end up being the best player in this draft regardless of position,” he said. “He is a freaking animal.”
Louis Riddick has been trumpeting praise for Darnell Wright all month. "I believe he can end up being the best player in this draft regardless of position. He is a freaking animal."
Riddick thinks Wright has Pro Bowl potential immediately.
— Dan Wiederer (@danwiederer) April 28, 2023
Riddick clearly loves the pick and thinks the Bears did very well for themselves, but to say he could even be the best pick of all is something. For Fields’ sake, let’s hope he’s right.
5
Wright is the highest-picked tackle the Bears have had in 40 years
The Bears have taken a few first-round swings at the tackle position in the last couple of decades. Players like Marc Colombo, Chris Williams, and Gabe Carimi were all selections that unfortunately didn’t pan out. But you have to go back 40 years to find the last time the Bears selected a tackle with a top-10 pick. That was back in 1983 when they selected future Hall of Famer Jimbo Covert.
The Bears selected Covert with the No. 6 overall pick in what became a legendary draft that helped propel the Bears to winning Super Bowl XX a few years later. Players like Richard Dent, Willie Gault, Dave Duerson, and Tom Thayer were all picked in later rounds. Imagine if history were to repeat itself, but at the very least it shows the Bears have a commitment to the tackle position that they haven’t had since the 1980s.
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