‘Elite’ Bears Target Drops Hint About Landing in Chicago

Getty Bears general manager Ryan Poles likely has Darnell Wright on his draft board for the 2023 NFL draft.

One of this year’s elite offensive tackle prospects — Tennessee’s Darnell Wright — seems to be convinced that he would make a great fit for the Chicago Bears if they opted to take him in the first round of this week’s 2023 NFL draft.

According to Josh Schrock of NBC Sports Chicago, Wright “aced” his top 30 visit with general manager Ryan Poles and the Bears earlier this offseason and built an “instant connection” with offensive line coach Chris Morgan. The potential top-10 selection also dropped some strong hints to Schrock about how he would feel landing with Chicago.

“I talked to coach C-Mo for a long time,” Wright said, via Schrock. “It was funny, he was talking to me about what are some of your pet peeves? It’s funny, right off the bat, his No. 1 pet peeve and my No. 1 pet peeve are both the same thing. So, it’s going to be fun working with him if I end up with the Bears.”

Bears Envision ‘So Much More’ for Darnell Wright

Wright would be an immediate plug-and-play right tackle for the Bears, having filled that role during his starring career at Tennessee that featured a shutdown matchup against Alabama’s Will Anderson Jr. in 2022. While the Bears might prefer to trade down from No. 9 overall to gain more draft capital, Wright proving on his visit that he can be a culture fit for Chicago could go a long way when draft night arrives on April 27.

“He said I want players that come in and have talent and don’t just get by,” Wright continued about Morgan. “He kind of explained, you know, ‘You’ve done good up to this point, but you’ve got so much more in you.’ My pet peeve is like when I feel like I can do something and I’ll establish that foundation with the team — you know you have to establish that trust before you can do anything extra — I told him how after I establish that I want to try some things and see what works best for me.

“He was like, ‘I’m going to make sure you got the foundation first.’ We got some things to work out, and if that’s the only thing to work out, I think we’ll have a good relationship. He’s a good coach.”

Darnell Wright Has ‘All-Pro’ Potential at NFL Level

Wright’s draft stock has been on the rise since his dominant senior season with the Volunteers in 2022. After spending all of 2021 as a starting left tackle, he was flipped back to his original spot on the right side and thrived against some upper-echelon challenges, which included restraining one of the best defensive talents in the 2023 class in Anderson to just one pressure in their final collegiate matchup.

In total, Wright allowed just eight pressures and zero sacks over his 892 snaps at right tackle in 2022, vaulting himself from a Day 2 prospect to a likely first-round pick.

A big part of the appeal — no pun intended — is how massive Wright is. At 6-foot-5 and 333 pounds, he is one of the bigger tackles in the class and uses every bit of it to bring power and persistence to his game as a pass protector. He is also gifted with his hands, having gradually improved his placement and variety of strikes throughout his four seasons as a starting tackle in the SEC. The left-right versatility doesn’t hurt, either.

“He’s the best tackle in the draft,” an NFC scout told NBC Sports Chicago about Wright, via Schrock’s Bears 2023 big board. “You could argue a few of the other guys have a higher ceiling, but right now he’s the best tackle of the group. He’s got All-Pro talent, has a lot of experience and great tape against elite competition.”