From draft day to dominating snaps, Darnell Wright keeps showing he was Chicago’s ideal selection all along. DH
The selection of Darnell Wright might not have been a popular one at the time. He has proven to be more than worthy of the selection, though.
Like many, I was fascinated by the idea of drafting Jalen Carter with the ninth overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. He was one of two players seemingly in contention to be the first pick (along with edge rusher Will Anderson Jr.) before the team traded the pick to Carolina. Unlike many, I wasn’t upset when they decided to go in a different direction and draft Darnell Wright, though.
Darnell Wright was always the right pick for the Chicago Bears at that time, and he’s proven to be just as worthy of the high selection through his play this season.
I was initially upset that they passed on Carter, but I understood they weren’t in a position to take a player with wide-ranging (and well-documented) character concerns. The Bears’ front office did their homework and felt it wasn’t in their best interest. Wright was the safe pick at a major position of need.
Prioritizing the offensive tackle position in the first round of that draft, specifically, was also a wise move. Five offensive tackles were selected in the first round, and Wright, who was the second off the board (after Paris Johnson Jr.), looks like the best one through their first three years. Meanwhile, only two tackles, Tyler Steen and Wanya Morris, were selected on the second day of the draft. They’ve started 15 of 40 and 15 of 42 career games, respectively. Needless to say, if you were looking to land a starting-caliber offensive tackle in that year’s class, you needed to pay up for him.
The Bears still had a glaring need at the defensive tackle position after the first round, though. How did they address it?
They followed up the selection of Wright by picking Florida defensive tackle Gervon Dexter Sr. with the 53rd pick in the second round. He’s been a full-time starter for Chicago over the past two seasons and has only one fewer career sack and nine fewer tackles than Carter. That’s not to say that he’s been anywhere near as impactful, though. The latter is a game-wrecker whose impact is felt beyond the stat sheet.
With that said, Dexter has been more than serviceable. He’s been a stabilizing force in the middle of Chicago’s defensive line and has shown real flashes as a pass-rusher. When deciding between the Wright and Dexter or Carter and Morris/Steen, the choice becomes clear.
The Bears made smart use of their first two selections in the 2023 NFL Draft. That was painfully obvious in their first head-to-head clash (in the NFL) on Sunday. Wright handily won every one-on-one matchup.
Wright also dominated the rest of the Eagles’ defensive front throughout the game. He allowed only two pressures (on 40 pass-blocking snaps) and finished the game with a 73 run blocking grade, according to Pro Football Focus. He was a major reason the team ran for 281 yards on the ground.
The Bears wouldn’t be 9-3 without Darnell Wright on the offensive line. He’s been their most consistent lineman over the second half of the season, and that’s saying something considering how well the line has performed.
