Ranking the Bears Last 10 First-Round Picks, Worst to Best
5. Darnell Wright, T - 2023
It is obviously way too early to make a full judgment on Wright, but after his rookie season I think it is safe to say the kid can play. It was only one season, but we can definitely say he deserves to be above the aforementioned Carimi, White, and McClellin. Sure, there is a case to be made to have the quarterbacks above him, but I believe Wright is in a much better spot after one year than those two guys were.
Wright was taken 10th overall in the 2023 Draft in hopes of protecting Justin Fields for years to come. With Fields out of the picture now, it will likely be Caleb Williams whom he will be protecting. In year one we saw Wright maul some guys in the run game and struggle at times in pass protection - something that is expected of a young tackle. Wright started all 17 games at right tackle and should be the guy on that end going forward. He was also named to the PFWA NFL All-Rookie team.
The best ability is availability and starting all 17 games in your rookie season is about as good as you can wish for. If Wright is able to build on a solid rookie campaign, he has the potential to become one of the best tackles in the game in a hurry.
4. Leonard Floyd, LB - 2016
The Bears moved up two spots to 9th overall to select Leonard Floyd out of Georgia in 2016. He was considered one of the top pass rushers available in the draft and the Bears seemingly agreed. The best-case scenario was Floyd would put on some weight and become an every-down type of edge player as he was very lean coming into the league. He missed time in both of his first two seasons with injuries but had 7 sacks his rookie year and 4.5 the following season.
When you trade up into the top-10 you are doing so with the expectation that the player you choose is going to be a franchise guy. The Bears unfortunately never got that production out of Floyd as he never matched those 7 sacks his rookie year again in a Bears uniform. He had 18.5 sacks in four years with the Bears. After being released, he was picked up by the Rams and revitalized his career there.
In three seasons with the Rams, Floyd never had less than 9 sacks. He also was a big part of their Super Bowl victory in 2021 where he had five tackles and a sack. Playing on a line featuring Aaron Donald will surely help you out, but it was discouraging for Bears fans to see him thrive with another team after underperforming on theirs.