Darnell Wright receives high praise ahead of NFL Draft for performance vs. Will Anderson
Tennessee offensive tackle Darnell Wright got a lot of first round buzz in the 2023 NFL Draft. But it was his performance against Alabama’s Will Anderson that caught the eye of NFL Films’ Greg Cosell.
Cosell, who breaks down and studies game tape down to every minute detail, noticed how Wright handled Anderson, once thought of the No. 1 overall prospect in the class. Based on Wright’s tape, he’s a bonafide top prospect.
Cosell broke it down on The Ross Tucker Podcast.
“There’s another guy that there’s one game that really stands out,” Cosell said. “When they played Alabama, he just stoned Will Anderson every single time. I mean if you didn’t know who Will Anderson was, you would have thought WIll Anderson was not a draftable player. I mean he’s stoned him on every single rush because Will Anderson is a straight line power rusher.
“Will Anderson is not a bender. So, you know (Anderson) tried all those power rushes against Wright, who’s six-five and an eighth, 333 pounds and Wright just stoned him.”
Wright moved to right tackle last year after spending the 2021 campaign at left tackle. He did not allow a sack in his last 18 games.
Standing in at 6-foot-6, 335 pounds, the offensive lineman appeared in 46 games throughout his career with 41 starts. Wright finished the 2022 regular season not allowing a sack on 829 offensive snaps. In total, the tackle has logged 2,680 career snaps while making 26 starts at right tackle, 13 at left tackle and two at right guard.
As a member of the Class of 2019, Wright was a five-star recruit out of Huntington (W.V.) High, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He was the No. 1 overall prospect in the state, the No. 2 offensive tackle in the class and the No. 6 overall prospect in the class.
The 2023 NFL Draft is set to take place from Thursday, April 27 through Saturday, April 29 in Kansas City, Missouri. The event is located at the plaza just outside of Union Station.
Round 1 of the NFL Draft will begin 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, Apr. 27. Rounds 2-3 will begin at 7 p.m. ET on Friday, Apr. 28, and Rounds 4-7 will begin at 12 p.m. ET on Saturday, Apr. 29. The draft is broadcasted throughout the weekend on both ESPN and NFL Network.