When the Chicago Bears saw Paris Johnson Jr. get selected well before the team had a chance at pick nine the question quickly became whether the team was interested in Broderick Jones or Darnell Wright. Wright was the choice, and four picks later Broderick Jones went.
It feels like because the Pittsburgh Steelers went with Broderick Jones, it makes the comparison between the extra juicy. The Steelers are the team who took George Pickens when so many Bears fans wanted him, and now they get Jones after the Bears turned him down. Then, the Chase Claypool trade came as a ripple effect of the Steelers having Pickens and the Bears passing on him. Is this history repeating itself or did the Chicago Bears really get the better player?
3. Darnell Wright fits the Chicago Bears as a right tackle
This one is pretty simple and makes plenty of sense. It is also the debate that has been raging all draft season for this team. Do you draft the left tackle, and then have to move Braxton Jones to the right side, or do you draft the right tackle, and then you let Jones continue his development?
Part of the question had to be that easy between Jones and Wright. Darnell Wright has 1,752 snaps at right tackle and 934 on the left side. Wright also struggled on the left side, and most indications are that he definitely will play right tackle.
Meanwhile, Broderick Jones has just 25 snaps on the right side and 1,358 on the left. To be fair, Wright has more experience on both sides, and that may also have played into the decision. Still, while the Bears definitely wanted to take the best lineman regardless of size, if things were very close, did they lean to the right side because of Braxton Jones?
The thought is that if you have Wright and Broderick Jones graded the same why would you risk making Braxton Jones worse? They would have had to have Broderick Jones as the clear best choice, and that just was not the case.
2. Darnell Wright Is safer in pass protection
As we noted, the experience level leans toward Darnell Wright. Steelers fans will be quick to note that the upside may belong to Broderick Jones because he has not had as many chances to learn from his mistakes. However, when you look at Jones and look at Wright there are clear strengths and weaknesses that differ from their skills.
Broderick Jones is a walking highlight reel as a run blocker. When he gets out in space he is dangerous, and he can clear huge rush lanes, and also spring explosive runs. On the flip side, he struggles in pass protection. Some of it comes down to a lack of experience, but he does have technical issues, especially in the bend he presents from his lower body.
Darnell Wright can look clumsy at times when he is asked to climb to the second level. He brings power in the run game, but he is just not the mover in space, especially in comparison to Jones. On the flip side, he has nearly perfect technique in pass protection. Here and there a rusher can get around the edge on him, but his drop steps in pass protection are pristine, and he has consistent balance. Beyond that, his hand placement is excellent and he can bury defenders by swatting them into the ground like flies.
There are two ways to look at this. First, Wright can improve as a run blocker, but being able to pick up linebackers at the second level is a nice skill set, but not a necessary skill set. He will not be a liability as a run blocker, especially if the scheme plays to his strength.
It is fair to argue that Broderick Jones just needs experience, but also it is easier to teach anyone to move forward than backward, and that counts extra for big men. That is why the linemen who can pass protect are valued higher than the top run blockers with pass protection issues.
So, the Chicago Bears went with the best pass-protecting lineman in the class with the thought that it may be easier to improve in the run game, but if not, it also is not a killer. The fact that he also plays right tackle made it an easier call.
1. Chicago Bears were more comfortable with Darnell Wright after meeting with him
One thing that you had to take away from the Chicago Bears draft is that their trip to the Senior Bowl was a heavily impactful moment. They got their offensive coordinator Luke Getsy as one of the coaches, so he was able to set up the practices and get the Bears as much inside information as he could possibly gather.
On top of that, the Bears had Ryan Poles and Matt Eberflus down on the field the whole week. The team drafting Darnell Wright, Zacch Pickens, Roschon Johnson, and Tyrique Stevenson after being so present at the Senior Bowl cannot be a coincidence.
However, it was not just that. The Bears were present at all big Pro Days, whether it be Northwestern, Georgia, Ohio State, and Tennessee. They saw all the big linemen up front and personal. Then, they brought most of those big names in.
Beyond that, the Chicago Bears flew to Tennessee and had their own private workout with him. The team went above and beyond to make sure that they were as sold on the person as they were on the player on the field.
When they are betting on that, it is so hard to come in and interject because we did not meet these guys and do not know their motivations. The Pittsburgh Steelers being sold on Broderick Jones the person may make some Bears fans nervous.
However, this will end up being just another story to follow. As Bears fans watch Joey Porter Jr. and see if he was worth losing for Chase Claypool, they will also watch Broderick Jones and see if he ends up better than Darnell Wright.