NEWSLETTER
Darnell Wright’s rookie season established him as an anchor for the Chicago Bears moving forward.
On Tuesday, Wright’s first campaign in the pros was recognized by the Pro Football Writers of America, who put him on the All-Rookie Team. Wright is the only Bears representative to make the cut. But if you were going to have one rookie make the squad, you’d probably have wanted it to be Wright. After all, the Bears used the 10th pick in the 2023 NFL Draft to select Wright. And while there were other potential options on the board, Chicago went with Wright. Good call.
For the entire list of PFWA All-Rookie Team members, check it out below via Patrick:
As it turns out, Darnell was made of the (W)right stuff. I’m not sorry. But I’ll still see my way out.
This is the second year in a row in which the Chicago Bears have had an offensive tackle make it onto the PFWA All-Rookie Team. Last year, it was Braxton Jones bringing home some hardware. And this year, it is Darnell Wright. I can only speak for myself, but I can get used to this being a yearly occurrence.
Wright, 22, started all 17 games as a rookie and earned a 62.4 overall grade from Pro Football Focus. That number put him 53rd among 83 qualifying offensive tackles and second among rookies. Wright’s run-blocking grade was the best among his fellow draft classmates. And you’ll see why in a few moments if you keep scrolling.
But before we get there, kudos to the Bears for piecing together an aggressive development plan for Darnell Wright and executing it flawlessly throughout the season. Don’t get me wrong. I know Wright took some bumps. However, by year’s end, there was no doubt the Bears made the correct call taking Wright with the 10th pick. Plus, they got an extra fourth-round pick by trading back and still got their guy. Talk about a win-win situation!
For me, the most important number for Wright is 100. That number represents the percentage of offensive snaps Wright played this season. Let’s throw another number your way 1,133 — the number of offensive snaps the Bears played in 2023. It blows my mind thinking about Chicago’s offense being on the field for 1,133 plays and Wright not missing a single one. That is truly a testament to excellence and endurance. Being an offensive lineman isn’t easy. So to play every snap as a rookie means that you’ve accomplished something.
This is now a Darnell Wright appreciation post
OK, so the 2023 NFL season didn’t go the way we were hoping it would for the Chicago Bears. But it isn’t as if the year was without highlights. And, yes, I understand that the offense underperformed in 2023. You’ll get no argument from me on that front. However, you cheated yourself if you didn’t watch Darnell Wright go to town as a rookie:
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Going through Darnell Wright’s best from his rookie season had me thinking about what I wrote about him after the Bears took him with the 10th pick in the 2023 NFL Draft:
The 2023 NFL Draft had a bunch of interesting O-line prospects, but the group was looking top-heavy after all the evaluations were in the books. When Day 2 of the draft opened its doors, seeing how thin the position was looking had me thankful the Bears beat the run on offensive linemen by taking Wright in the first round. And did so by adding a highly-graded offensive lineman who has experience at multiple positions. I’m hoping the positive traits he picked up at other positions come with him as he establishes himself at right tackle.
In the end, Bears General Manager Ryan Poles has just two draft classes under his belt and has already gained my trust when it comes to drafting offensive linemen. Drafting a starting left tackle (Braxton Jones) and right tackle (Darnell Wright) will do that.
