Not much went right for the Chicago Bears passing game in Los Angeles. The Chargers managed to stymie them on the ground while benefitting from a big early lead. This forced the Bears to pass more often with rookie Tyson Bagent. It was the worst-case scenario because it put the game on his shoulders while also asking their makeshift offensive line to block Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack with their ears pinned back. It wasn’t a fun experience, to be sure. However, at least one person handled it remarkably well. That was 1st round pick Darnell Wright.
The Bears left him in one-on-one blocking situations 23 times against Los Angeles. Many of them were against Bosa or Mack. He gave up only two pressures all night with no hits or sacks on Bagent. It wasn’t always pretty, but he got the job done. Don’t forget he’s been battling shoulder and toe injuries from last week. For him to still step up in a tough spot is a reminder of his talent and grit. He and Teven Jenkins look like two mainstays they can build around moving forward. For all the criticism GM Ryan Poles gets, this pick looks like a strong one.
Darnell Wright is still far from a finished product.
He’s proving vulnerable to certain veteran moves. Mack’s spin move got him a couple of times in the game. However, Wright was outstanding against Bosa, walling him off multiple times during the game. It is likely one reason the Chargers moved him around, looking for more advantageous matchups. Learning to use his anchor and arm extension should be things to keep fine-tuning in the coming weeks. His run-blocking has already improved by leaps and bounds. There is no denying he’s becoming a complete player.
The challenge becomes whether the Bears can find a few more like him. It’s easy to forget he is the first player selected in the 1st round by this regime. Poles didn’t have one in 2022 because of prior trades by his predecessor, Ryan Pace. Great eras of Bears football are often driven by their 1st round picks. Brian Urlacher and Tommie Harris were instrumental to their success in the mid-2000s. The 1985 team was loaded with them. Darnell Wright is only the first step in Poles trying to duplicate that approach.
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