Chicago Bears select Darnell Wright in 1st round of 2023 NFL Draft
After just one full year of play at right tackle, Tennessee offensive lineman Darnell Wright was able to parlay his terrific season in 2022 into an NFL Draft selection. On Thursday, the Chicago Bears selected Wright with the No. 10 pick of the 1st round.
As mentioned, Wright’s move to the pros comes after just one full year starting at right tackle. He was tremendous for the Volunteers last season, and as just a true junior, his combination of youth, promise and impressive production for one year at the highest level in college football ultimately sold NFL folks on him as a high pick and one of the better offensive linemen prospects in the class.
The big question with him is whether he’ll be capable of playing left tackle. His only real college experience came on the right side, but Wright’s been bullish about his ability to play either spot. Surely his new team will give him a spin there in camp, but expectations are that he stays at RT at least as a rookie.
As a high school recruit, Wright was the cream of the crop. The Huntington, WV product came out as a consensus five-star and the No. 6 overall player in the 2019 class, according to the On3 Industry Rankings. He was also the No. 2 offensive lineman and far and away the best player out of West Virginia that year. A blue chip player who lived up to the hype.
What NFL Draft analysts are saying about Darnell Wright
NFL analyst Lance Zierlein broke down Wright’s profile over on NFL.com, where he wrote the following about the former Tennessee star:
“Right tackle prospect who used his size and power to overcome athletic limitations and spotty technique on the collegiate level. The tape can be a little uneven for Wright with poor block finishes followed up by aggressive pancakes. He played with much better body control and footwork in 2022, though. Wright is capable of staying at right tackle at the next level provided he’s given protection help from time to time. While he was often a positional blocker at Tennessee, he’s a very talented drive blocker when allowed to fire out. There will be inconsistent outings, but Wright should develop into a decent starting tackle with the potential to kick inside if necessary.”
So Zierlein even believes a move inside to guard could happen for Wright. Although that’s not terribly foreign. Most tackles who can’t cut it as starters at the NFL level tend to kick inside, where you’re simply facing an easier blocking job on every down. Either way, expect Wright to get a look at multiple positions next season if he’s not immediately able to lock down a starting spot.