They say the time right before the NFL draft is lying season. It’s when people should be very careful about trusting what rumors they hear. When it comes to the Chicago Bears, the buzz has been relatively consistent. The widespread belief is they will stay at #9 to take Jalen Carter or Paris Johnson, or they’ll trade down for more picks. GM Ryan Poles’ preference seems to be moving down, but doing so could be challenging. However, it’s possible all of this buzz could be a carefully manufactured smokescreen by the Bears to throw people off the scent of who they really want.
Jamie Eisner of The Draft Network thinks this is the case. He researched the class extensively and reached out to several sources inside the league. From what he’s hearing, the player they want isn’t popular among most media outlets.
“In this exercise, I put together my latest predictive mock draft based on the information I’ve heard, reports from people I trust, and research…
…Darnell Wright is a player who the league is higher on than many draft analysts—he’s got a real shot to be the OT1 in this class on Thursday night. The Bears’ interest in Wright is real, so much so that they may avoid the temptation to trade back again to ensure they land him here before the offensive line run starts.”
Some have suggested that Wright isn’t being rated high enough by experts. He is the most proven right tackle in the class. His mixture of size, length, power, and underrated athleticism made him a menace for SEC pass rushers last year. He could plug the biggest hole on the Bears’ offensive line immediately.
If true, the Chicago Bears’ interest in Wright is totally justified.
This isn’t one of those cases where a player caught fire during the pre-draft process and went up boards based solely on potential. It isn’t another Shea McClellin or Leonard Floyd. This is the opposite. Wright’s ascent is more due to the outstanding game performances that saw him shut down the best pass rushers in the country. The only knock people have on him is not being an “elite” athlete compared to other top tackles like Paris Johnson and Broderick Jones. Even so, he is still a good athlete for somebody 330 lbs.
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If the Chicago Bears do take him at 9th overall, some people won’t be happy. They’ll think Poles didn’t get the best offensive lineman on the board. They took him too soon. Don’t be surprised if people are forced to admit they didn’t know anything a few years down the line. Wright looks like a player who may never be a superstar but will play for a long time in the NFL. He would be an instant upgrade over anything they have at right tackle and should help further the development of Justin Fields.
