Darnell

Wright

The good news is that starting tackles Darnell Wright and Braxton Jones have been cleared for Week 11. Both tackles missed Week 10 with knee injuries. Jenkins left that game with an ankle injury and did not return. He did not practice at any point this week.

This is a big loss for the Bears’ offensive line. Wright is perhaps the unit’s most well-rounded blocker, grading out as the second-best starter per ProFootballFocus (73.4 PFF offense grade). Hopefully, this is just a Grade 1 sprain and Wright is able to play with the help of a brace next week.

Backup interior lineman Dan Feeney is questionable as is starting right tackle Darnell Wright. Losing multiple starting linemen is not what the Bears want to see as they prepare UDFA rookie Tyson Bagent for his first NFL start. Even as one of the league’s weaker defenses, the Raiders are a solid streaming option in a great matchup this week.

In addition to signing Wright, the Bears also signed third-rounder Zacch Pickens and fourth-rounder Tyler Scott to their rookie deals on Monday. Wright is officially locked into his rookie deal and ready to contribute to an offensive line that’s undergone a significant facelift this offseason. Justin Fields has spent his first two years in Chicago running for his life on nearly every drop-back. His growth as a passer will be closely linked to the offensive line buying him enough time to process the field and let plays develop.

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.

While Wright is technically being considered a game-time decision, 247Sports’ Patrick Brown writes that the 6-foot-6, 275-pounder is “probably closer to doubtful,” as he was not taking part in practice on either Tuesday or Wednesday. The five-star freshman had his ankle rolled up on him against South Carolina last weekend. Should Wright end up sidelined on Saturday, Marcus Tatum could potentially step up as starter, with K’Rojhn Calbert slotting up on the depth chart behind Tatum.

“Wright dominated older and higher-rated prospects at the Columbus Rivals Camp even though he was one of the youngest players there,” Friedman writes. In particular, the analyst singled out the 6-foot-6, 275-pounder’s “quickness, patience and the way he finished his blocks.” All of this fine work earned Wright an invitation to the Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge. Among the programs he is currently considering for a potential commitment, Virginia Tech, Louisville, Kentucky, West Virginia and Tennessee.

“What makes him so special is he’s athletic, he’s long, he’s aggressive and he has really good feet,” Rivals Director Of National Recruiting Mike Farrell writes. “Wright is more athletic than some of the top tackles from last year such as Cade Mays or Jackson Carman.” At one point, Wright was considered a favorite to end up at Tennessee, but the coaching change has reportedly opened things up. Farrell mentions Virginia Tech as a possible landing spot, as well as Alabama, Ohio State and Georgia.

Wright’s current top 10 also includes Alabama, Ohio State, Clemson, Florida State, Georgia, Miami, North Carolina, Penn State, and USC. VanHaaren believes that Tennessee and Alabama stand out more for the 6-foot-6, 275-pound tackle, with Tennessee the slight favorite right now. “Ohio State is also an interesting school that could be helping itself with each visit Wright takes to Columbus,” VanHaaren writes. “There is still time left for schools to make up ground, but for now the Vols are our pick.”

Wright (6'6/275) has already visited North Carolina, Tennessee and Alabama. He explained to Rivals that once he’s made his upcoming check-ins with Clemson and Georgia, he might expand the range of his visits. The Huntington, West Virginia, native has kept things mostly limited to ACC and SEC programs to this juncture. Rivals analyst Adam Friedman writes that “Tennessee seems to be in the driver’s seat” for the five-star tackle standout. He was already showing off elite-level quickness and finish during the camp circuit last spring and has continued to improve and hone his game over the past 12 months or so. On the Rivals250, only five-star ATH Quavaris Crouch ranks higher than Wright’s lofty perch as the No. 2 overall prospect in the 2019 class.