Chicago Bears: 3 reasons to be weary of Darnell Wright pick

In the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft, the Chicago Bears made, by most accounts, a home run pick by selecting Tennessee offensive tackle Darnell Wright.

The Bears entered the draft with one of their biggest needs coming at this position. There was a void on the right side of the line, and that’s exactly where Wright projects to start. Now, with him in the fold, the Bears’ offensive line is effectively set.

The starting five look much better than they did a year ago, so long as Cody Whitehair sticks around and Lucas Patrick is healthy and ready to roll.

Now, while Wright was a phenomenal pick, every team’s fan base has the opportunity to see things through rose-colored glasses. The Bears had a strong draft, but only time will tell. Are there reasons to worry about a pick like Wright, even though he’s a first rounder? Absolutely. There are a few causes for concern.

Reasons to worry about Chicago Bears first-round pick Darnell Wright: Missing top-end athleticism

As good as Wright is, one of the first worries I have about his game is the lack of true athleticism at the position. If you look around the league at some of the top offensive tackles in the game today, many have elite athletic traits. Wright, though, does not.

At the NFL level, Wright is going to face the fastest, most athletic pass rushers he has ever played against. Sure, he has a background of protecting quarterbacks against the likes of SEC talent, which is a plus. But, the lack of athleticism, especially laterally, is going to get him in trouble if he’s not careful.

Wright could potentially be lining up across from a guy like Aidan Hutchinson for the next several years, and that’s not a kind matchup for an offensive tackle that is athletically-limited.