Getty Former Tennessee offensive tackle Darnell Wright participates in a drill during the NFL Combine in March 2023
The Chicago Bears picked up more than just protection when they selected former Tennessee tackle Darnell Wright No. 10 overall in the first round of NFL Draft.
Mel Kiper Jr. of ESPN said Wright could end up being the best player taken in the entire 2023 class just seconds after the offensive lineman became a Bear on Thursday night, April 27. Wright arrived in Chicago the following day and said the same thing about himself during his first interaction with media members there.
#Bears first round pick Darnell Wright telling @ParkinsSpiegel : “I think I’m probably the best tackle that just walked into the NFL.”
“I think I’m probably the best tackle that just walked into the NFL,” Wright said Friday on the Parkins & Spiegel Show, per a tweet from Mark Grote of WSCR Radio.
Darnell Wright Impressed Bears During Top-30 Visit, Pro Day
GettyFormer Tennessee offensive tackle Darnell Wright participates in a drill during the NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium in March 2023.
Wright became a likely prospect for the Bears in the first round over the last several days.
Josh Schrock of NBC Sports Chicago got some face time with the right tackle on April 24 following Wright’s his top-30 visit with the franchise. He spoke specifically to Schrock about how well the meeting went and his immediate connection with offensive line coach Chris Morgan.
“I talked to coach C-Mo for a long time,” Wright said. “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.”
That visit came just days after Bears general manager Ryan Poles flew to the first ever pro-day he has ever attended as a GM to watch Wright work out in person and to push the prospect to the limit. It was a test Wright passed with flying colors, per Bears senior writer Larry Mayer.
“There’s an attitude. There’s a mental toughness that you have to have to play this game,” Poles said. “We brought him in deep water to see if he could swim or not, and he accepted the challenge and he showed us the grit and the mental toughness to be able to fight through fatigue and all those things that we look for. It was really a good experience from start to finish, a guy that we were comfortable with as being the top tackle in the draft, so we’re pumped about that.”
Darnell Wright has Potential to be Best Right Tackle in 2023 NFL Draft Class
GettyFormer Tennessee right tackle Darnell Wright attended a top 30-visit with the Chicago Bears ahead of the 2023 NFL draft.
Wright stands at 6-feet, 5-inches tall and weighs 333 pounds with an arm length measuring 33.75 inches.
The scouting report on Wright from the NFL Combine via Lance Zierlein of NFL.com was that Wright’s body control and footwork improved significantly in 2022. Zierlein noted that the tackle uses his length to make up for a lack of athleticism that sometimes shows up on tape.
“There will be inconsistent outings, but Wright should develop into a decent starting tackle with the potential to kick inside if necessary,” Zierlein said.
Kiper noted as part of his final draft big board that Wright was the best right tackle in the 2023 draft class, bar none.
“Wright is the best pure right tackle in this draft,” Kiper wrote. “He started 42 games in college, playing both tackle spots and right guard for the Vols. Wright got better every season. Go watch his tape against Alabama and Will Anderson Jr. — he dominated a potential top-three pick.”