In April, Chicago Bears head coach Matt Eberflus (who joined the franchise in January 2022) called the Bears’ first-round pick, 6’6″ 335 lb. Tennessee offensive lineman Darnell Wright, “a really big athlete.”
At 6’6” 335, @Vol_Football OT @darnell_5232 is going to be highly sought after in the Draft. 💪
— NFL (@NFL) April 15, 2023
📺: 2023 #NFLDraft – Starts Thursday, April 27 on NFLN/ESPN/ABC
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Eberflus said of Wright: “We talked about his feet and his ability to regain, if he loses his balance and gets off balance, he can regain and reset his hands inside to be able to protect. So, a fabulous energy with him.
“He’s a willing learner, wants to get better. We see a lot of upside with him too. We feel that he was the best lineman in the draft, but we also know that he’s got the best upside for growth potential. We’re excited about where he is.”
The Wright Tackle 🫡 pic.twitter.com/RoXnWE28uy
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) August 2, 2023
Three months later, after a pre-season practice at Soldier Field in August, Eberflus says this about Wright: “He is exactly what we thought he was.”
The coach added: “In terms of being an athlete, if you watch his one-on-one pass rush, he’s able to set quickly, keep his balance, stay square to the line of scrimmage, not shoot his hands too early and be patient at the top.”
Bryan Perez, publisher and managing editor of The Bears Talk and host of ‘The Bears Talk’ podcast, says: “This is exactly what Bears fans want to hear about first-round pick Darnell Wright.” (Note: Wright was the tenth overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.)
This is exactly what #DaBears fans want to hear about first-round pick Darnell Wright:https://t.co/FxwfDgWKQ3
— Bryan Perez (@BryanPerezNFL) August 7, 2023
Beyond all the praise of Wright’s obvious skill set, his athleticism and “growth potential,” Eberflus also addressed the here and now, as in what the lineman needs to do next — even at the next practice — to make the most of his NFL career.
Revealing what he sees as one of the keys, Eberflus was candid about what the lineman has “gotta improve” right away. “Where he’s gotta improve is at the end of practice, when we heavy stack these plays up. You’ve got to maintain that mental stamina as well as the physical stamina.”
