For the Chicago Bears to achieve their potential this season, they need the offense to step up. Nowhere is that clearer than the offensive line. The group has been much-maligned in recent years, particularly in pass protection. They have a rookie quarterback behind them now. Their jobs are more important than ever. Caleb Williams’ success is tied to their stability. GM Ryan Poles spent three years piecing this group together. Braxton Jones and Teven Jenkins have both shown flashes of excellence. However, the anchor to the entire thing has to be Darnell Wright.
Chicago selected him 10th overall in the 2023 draft. The organization loved his mixture of size, power, athleticism, and nastiness. While his rookie year wasn’t always smooth, he showed many signs of being made for this level. He has experience now and will have another off-season to get his body in NFL shape. Former Bears scouting director Greg Gabriel stated on Windy City Gridiron that he believes he’s going to take a big leap this fall, and it could result in a rare honor.
“The right tackle is manned by last year’s first-round pick, Darnell Wright. Wright is a huge, strong and athletic player who played very well as a rookie. With a year under his belt, he should be even better in 2024. Last year, he was a very good run blocker and a good pass protector. The year of experience should make him even better in pass protection this season. I feel he is a future Pro Bowl-type player.“
Darnell Wright ascending would be huge for the Bears.
They face one of the toughest divisions in football. Green Bay, Detroit, and Minnesota all have an array of talented pass rushers at their disposal. Wright’s presence will be crucial to holding them at bay. He showed last year that he has no fear of those opponents. The only thing they had on him was experience. He more than held his own when it came to talent against talent. If his hand-fighting and awareness catch up to his raw ability, it won’t matter what pass rushers try. None of it will work.
Making the Pro Bowl would put Darnell Wright in rare company. Since 2000, only three tackles have accomplished this feat in Chicago. James “Big Cat” Williams did it in 2001, Kyle Long did it during his lone year at tackle in 2015, and Charles Leno was the last in 2018. None repeated the accomplishment. The last person to do that was Jimbo Covert. The Bears hope Wright can break that streak. He has more than enough talent to do it. Staying healthy and mastering his craft are the goals.
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