Bears selected Tennessee OT Darnell Wright with the No. 10 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Wright (6’5/333) was a 5-star recruit, and the 2nd-ranked Offensive Tackle, from Huntington, West Virginia in the 2019 recruiting class, according to 247 Sports. His best spot is probably at right tackle, where he started 27 games over his four-year collegiate tenure. But he has also started two games at right guard and spent the entirety of his junior year at left tackle. Wright has had plenty of playing experience as he started seven games his freshman year, earning freshman All-SEC accolades for his efforts. But his most impressive performance came in the 2022 season where he helped Tennessee produce the top offense in the country by allowing only two QB hits and six hurries over the course of thirteen games. A super-sized tackle at 333 pounds, it was remarkable how polished his sets were in comparison to other linemen that had some physical advantages over him. Wright also posted a pristine 9.77 RAS at the combine. This shouldn’t have come as a surprise after successful outings in 2022 against Will Anderson as well as the gaggle of pass rushers that LSU was throwing at offenses. Wright will now be tasked with using his outstanding leverage to keep Justin Fields standing upright.