The Chicago Bears drafting Darnell Wright in the top ten is not all that stunning, but a lot of people will say that it was a potential reach because he was not a consensus top-ten pick before the 2023 NFL draft. Beyond that, Wright is definitely a player who has to be classified as a draft riser.
He started at left tackle in 2021 and was not good, and his switch to the right side in 2022 appeared to have unlocked his powers. He took an elite 2022 into a great Senior Bowl, NFL Combine, and pre-draft workout, and that propelled him into the top 10.
Darnell Wright was elite in pass protection, and the only question is whether it was a one-year thing. However, he also was not a consensus top-ten pick because he brings room for improvement as a run blocker.
Chicago Bears film review: Darnell Wright must improve as a run blocker.
Below we see him against 41 as he tries to get downhill in the run game. Darnell Wright bends and lunges at the defender who swims right over him and is able to get his hands on his man.
We see a similar attempt in this next play. He lunges again and dives forward, and ends up on the ground. That is mainly because his momentum is taking him there, but one quick push from the defender makes it easy. The edge crashes down from there, and there is really nowhere outside for this run to go.
Below we see more of the issues with Wright. On this play, the Volunteers are asking for a combination block. He essentially misses on both. He re-routes 12 outside enough that the initial push works, but it has him slip and lose balance immediately.
He struggles to regain control and get to the second level in time, and number 5 can see him slowly coming at him. A quick juke away has him helping finish off the play and has Wright missing on both blocks.
The balance issues are pretty notable in his run blocking. This is so surprising because Darnell Wright has arguably the best pass protection balance in the class. Still, he lunges too often when he gets moving forward, and he gets too far over himself and loses balance.
The same thing happens in the play below as he looks to pull across the field and lead a run-blocking brigade. It is a tight squeeze, but Darnell Wright has his feet too wide, and he is lumbering around again which causes him to lose balance.
Lastly, we see in the play below that he needs to be able to latch onto his man and finish the run block. He is able to get his target, but the defender was able to get his hands inside the chest of Wright and stand him up. He was able to get free and protect the edge with a big tackle behind the line.
This is probably the most frustrating play from the sample that we chose. The issue is that we see this far too often with Wright. He has balance issues getting downhill, he loses power at the point of the attack, and he struggles to pick up defenders at the second level.
Darnell Wright does bring positives in the run game to the Chicago Bears
This is not to say that he is hopeless in this area and that there is nothing he can do. He is great in pass protection, and this is the area of his game that needs work. However, there are solid moments that make you think he is not going to be an embarrassment in the NFL.
Check out the play below. We see a strong combination block., He helps his guard with an initial push. That initial double team gives the guard an easy win. Then, he picks up the linebacker at the second level and a quick push sends him back a few yards.
Below we can see him against 21, the nose tackle from Florida. This is a big dude, but Darnell Wright has enough power to drive him back. This shows that when Wright can unlock his power in the run game, he can be a threat. He does get a little too bent over in this rep, but with some technical work, he could become a power run blocker.
On a play above we saw that he could not work through a mess of blockers as a puller, but here we can see that he does have the ability to pull and make contact in the run game. This helped break this run open to the outside.
Lastly, this play helped Tennessee score a touchdown. Darell Wright once again pulls off a combination block. He helps the guard push 94 back, then he picks up the linebacker at the second level to help the running back get into the end zone without being touched.
Overall, Darnell Wright is fine as a run blocker. For a top-ten pick, you would have liked to see a little more, and he is not on the level of Broderick Jones, who is a walking highlight tape in the run game. However, Darnell Wright is more technically proficient in the passing game than Wright.
The thought is that Wright has the power in the run game and that the issue does come down to a few technical flaws. It is rare to find a man of his size that can move backward well than it is forward. The fact that he has pass protection down, which is usually the hard part, is what presents real upside with Darnell Wright if he can iron out the run game.