NEWSLETTER
There are some very obvious caveats I’d like to throw out before this post gets underway. First and most important: Darnell Wright hasn’t even taken a pro snap yet. So I don’t want to go too overboard with this. Second, he hasn’t even participated in his first NFL training camp. Heck, Wright just wrapped up his first batch of minicamp practices. But with that being said, I’m digging where Chicago Bears right tackle Darnell Wright is now — and where the arrow is pointing.
Courtney Cronin and the rest of ESPN’s NFL beat writers chime on the 31 first-round picks around the league. Good time for it, too. Especially since the offseason program is in the books. When it comes to Wright and the Bears, Cronin’s words give us reasons to feel good about the rookie (and thus, the state of the line):
“Bears coaches are impressed with how well Wright has adapted to the speed of the game and his eagerness to learn the playbook. His physical traits have been a talking point among teammates.”
Cronin goes on to share an anecdote via a quote from tight end Cole Kmet, who relays a story about Wright falling down during an OTA practice and producing “the most graceful somersault I’ve ever seen a 330-pound player do.” It’s a fun nugget that encapsulates the high-end athleticism of a 6-foot-5-inch, 333-pound human the Bears are sliding into a starting spot along the offensive line. And while that is cool, neat, and fun, there is some real meat in the quote above.
Hearing that Wright is adapting to game speed is encouraging. Especially since the team was planning to be aggressive with Wright’s development plan. Things will continue to pick up on that front when training camp, preseason, and (eventually) regular season games get going. So I hope he doesn’t assume it’s clear sailing moving forward. However, it sounds like Wright has put together a solid foundation during OTAs. It is certainly better than the alternative of a beat reporter relaying that a rookie top-10 pick is struggling with speed-of-the-game stuff in June. The tidbit about being eager to learn the playbook piques my interest. Not every player drags their playbook headfirst and fearless going into their rookie campaign. That Wright is showing signs that he is going to go the extra mile bodes well for his career arc, as well as Chicago’s O-line.
For the first time in a while, there appears to be some stability in the trenches. And while Darnell Wright is a big part of it, he is just one piece of the puzzle.
Think about what the Bears line projects to look like going into Week 1. And compare it to where we stood a year ago. If everyone is healthy, Braxton Jones will start at left tackle with Teven Jenkins next to him at left guard. Cody Whitehair returns to center with Nate Davis at right guard and Wright at right tackle. There were no such assurances at any point along the line at this time last year. Jones was a Day 3 pick with a climb to make it into the starting LT conversation. Jenkins hadn’t even begun practicing as a guard. Whitehair was at left guard, with the flexibility to move around. Davis was with the Titans. Lucas Patrick was set to be the starting center. Larry Borom was angling for a starting right tackle spot. Wright was on campus at Tennessee.
The state of the offensive line was fluid at this time last year (to put it kindly). And even though I love watching positional battles unfold, it is reassuring to know who is going where on the offensive line. Simply re-reading the paragraph above is a reminder of how much things can change in a year.
All in all, I’m walking away from OTAs and minicamps feeling better about the Bears’ offensive line than I have in years. Admittedly, much of it has to do with Darnell Wright, who is an obvious cornerstone piece. Don’t get me wrong. Wright still has games to play. That’s important. But there is no denying that momentum is building in a positive direction for the Tennessee product. It might not seem like much right now, but we’ve seen what it is like when rookies don’t get off on a good foot at OTAs. In other words, I’m not taking these bits of progress for granted. Celebrating the little wins when they come your way is a valuable lesson I’ve been learning lately and feel like it is an important one we can apply as we follow a rebuilding Bears bunch.
