Darnell Wright Continues To Get Love For His Rapid Development

Not a lot of things are going well for the Chicago Bears lately. Justin Fields is out indefinitely with a dislocated thumb. He’ll be out for at least four weeks if he requires surgery. That puts an already derailed season in the hands of undrafted rookie Tyson Bagent. Not ideal. Maybe Bagent plays well, but it’s unlikely he will be able to do enough to pull this team out of its 1-5 start. In situations like this, the only thing left for fans is to focus on the positives. Specifically, the younger guys that might be part of the future. That is where Darnell Wright comes in.

He is the first offensive lineman the Bears took in the 1st round since Kyle Long in 2013. It was hoped he had the necessary talent to help stabilize an offensive line that has been mostly bad for the past few years. All things considered, Wright has played far better than anybody expected. He has faced more one-on-one blocks than any rookie tackle this season (101) and has allowed eight pressures with no sacks. If that weren’t enough, he is also the highest-graded run blocker among all rookie offensive linemen.

Former offensive lineman Brian Baldinger is one of his biggest fans and continues to see special flashes against the Minnesota Vikings.

Darnell Wright is what he needs to be: a building block.

It’s too early to determine if the 10th overall pick will be a star. However, it is already apparent that he will at least be a solid football player for the Bears. That is a good thing. They need more of those. It is also a welcome sign for GM Ryan Poles. He’s been under siege for several of his decisions regarding the roster—most notably the Chase Claypool trade. Wright playing well indicates Poles at least knows how to evaluate talent high in the draft. That gives you some hope he will do well with the two projected top-5 picks Chicago may have next spring.

One must think about the situation. Darnell Wright is working under a coaching widely derided as one of the worst in the NFL. He’s protecting a quarterback who holds the ball too long and has gone against some of the best pass rushers in the league. The offensive scheme has left him on an island more than any rookie this year. Yet, despite all that, he’s still the highest-performing draft pick at his position. If Bears fans are looking for anything to get excited about, it should be this.