Brian Baldinger has taken his place on the Darnell Wright bandwagon

At first blush, it seemed the Chicago Bears reached to take Darnell Wright 10th overall in the 2023 NFL Draft. Hindsight has proven to be kinder to that decision, as he has posted a top-20 overall Pro Football Focus grade among offensive tackles in back-to-back seasons.

Amid the big-name additions on the interior of the Bears' offensive line last offseason and the question mark at left tackle, Wright was the beacon of continuity at right tackle entering this past season. Hopes were high that he would take a big step toward fulfilling his potential.

Wright earned a Second Team All-Pro nod for his work during his third season. In Week 10, he delivered a memorable highlight when he stonewalled a spin move from New York Giants edge rusher Brian Burns. All Burns did was finish second in the league in sacks with 16.5, and he surely abused other offensive tackles with a similar move.

It's still impossible to view the video of Wright's block on Burns just once in a sitting.

During his season-ending press conference, Bears general manager Ryan Poles did not hold back his praise for Wright.

"I love watching him come off the ball and move people. When he has this confidence and belief in himself that he's the best on the field, I think he can be one of the best to do it. He just has to show up, and continue to put that work in and get there."

"I love his work in the offseason, in the weight room. I think it started there for him, and then built up."

Brian Baldinger climbs onto the Darnell Wright bandwagon

Former NFL offensive lineman and current analyst Brian Baldinger appeared on 104.3 The Score's "Mully and Haugh" Thursday morning to talk about the league as a whole and the Bears. The offensive line was, of course, at the top of the conversation, and looking toward the future, Baldinger had particular praise for Wright when fill-in co-host Brad Biggs brought him up.

"Coming out of Tennessee I really liked him", Baldinger said. "Now, he's been playing with these injuries, seemingly every year. I think it's been three years now. But he played through it this year, he played really well.

I thought he had a really good season. I think he's got a home at right tackle. And, can he get into the upper echelon of right tackles? He's got the size and the ability to do it. I'd like to see him get through a season healthy, you know, where he doesn't have these nagging injuries. I know he had a shoulder one year, now the elbow."

With all he dealt with during his own career, Baldinger knows of which he speaks in terms of persistent injuries and ongoing treatment.

"It just wears you out after a while, just the treatment and how you can practice, some of the limitations in practice. You'd like to just see him healthy, where he can work on certain things, week in, week out, getting ready for an opponent, and not have to worry about protecting a particular body part to get through the week with it."

Biggs started the Wright conversation by noting he played a big chunk of the season with a torn ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his right elbow. Biggs drew the analogy to a baseball pitcher needing Tommy John surgery if they had the same injury, while Wright missed one game and wore a brace after returning to action.

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Wright has taken the hoped-for step to becoming one of the best right tackles in the league. Now imagine if he'd had two fully functioning arms throughout the 2025 season. Opposing edge rushers who regularly line up on the left side of a defense surely don't want to imagine what he's capable of doing at full health.