In the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft, the Chicago Bears made a polarizing move.
General manager Ryan Poles opted to move back from the no. 9 pick, just one spot, with the Philadelphia Eagles. At that pick, the Eagles went and drafted Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter, while the Bears opted for Tennessee offensive tackle Darnell Wright.
As is typical, fans reacted in many different manners. Some loved the pick. Some were upset that Chicago passed on Carter. But, at the end of the day, Poles went with the best player on his board and, quite frankly, made the absolute perfect pick.
Wright stands 6-foot-5, weighing 333 pounds and comes in as the consensus second-best, pure offensive tackle prospect in this class. Why was Wright the correct pick? We’ll give you three reasons, starting with the biggest argument some fans will bring to the table.
Why Darnell Wright was the perfect pick for the Chicago Bears in 2023 NFL Draft: Jalen Carter was clearly a risk
Sure, fans would have been thrilled had the Bears taken Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter at no. 9 overall.
But, the concerns surrounding Carter continued to pile up. It wasn’t just the off-field incident that led to the death of one of his teammates. No, it was the lackluster Pro Day he put on display, too.
The Bears will have plenty of opportunity to address the defensive line, both interior and outside, throughout the draft. But, Carter’s woes were clearly not quelled by his meeting at Halas Hall during the pre-draft process.
Poles is, by all accounts, a standup guy. So is head coach Matt Eberflus, for that matter. If they had concerns with Carter, then fans should trust Chicago’s leadership.
Chicago went with a First Team All-SEC honoree, in Wright, who held his own against some of the top pass rushing talent in all of college football.
Why Darnell Wright was the perfect pick for the Chicago Bears in 2023 NFL Draft: Gives the Bears a formidable offensive line
First of all, you could go ahead and give a reason as simple as this pick filling a major need. But, saying something along those lines could border a dangerous territory, and that is, drafting need over talent.
Sure, Wright comes in and immediately fills a gaping hole at right tackle. That was one of the team’s biggest needs heading into the draft. But, Wright doesn’t just fill a need. He was, by all accounts, the best player on the board for Ryan Poles.
Not just that, but Wright fills out the Bears’ starting offensive line, for now.
LT: Braxton Jones
LG: Lucas Patrick
C: Cody Whitehair
RG: Nate Davis
RT: Darnell Wright
Looking at the starting line last year, and what it ended up looking like after some injuries, it’s no wonder Justin Fields looked like a trampled gazelle after a stampede of buffalo every other snap.
Wright gives the Bears a respectable starting five up front, and it could obviously still improve as the draft goes on. But for now, we can relish in the fact that the Bears’ starting offensive line looks to be much-improved.
Why Darnell Wright was the perfect pick for the Chicago Bears in 2023 NFL Draft: Because Justin Fields is the future
Look, we’ve talked about this already in some of our analysis of the Wright pick. But, last year, Poles was told he had to draft offensive players early on. He went defense. This year, everybody was clamoring for a defensive player, Jalen Carter, but instead Poles traded back and went offensive line.
Can we let the man do his job, and prove that he is, indeed, all-in on Justin Fields as his franchise quarterback?
Are we not happy about that?
Listen, one thing I don’t think we’re looking at, here, is the fact that Wright comes into the league after protecting another mobile, dynamic quarterback in college, Hendon Hooker.
Over his career at Tennessee, Hooker ran for over 2,000 yards. Wright was the one who protected his right side all of last season, during a year where Hooker was a Heisman candidate all the way up until his injury.
Wright is as good a right tackle prospect as you could want in this class, and comes in having played in a heavy play-action offense with the Volunteers. Fields excels with his legs, sure, but also makes a living off big plays coming off play action.
Let’s start to put the puzzle pieces together, shall we?
Wright was the perfect pick for this Bears team, period.