Former NFL front office exec makes incredible statement about Darnell Wright ahead of draft
Former Tennessee Vols offensive lineman Darnell Wright is moving up draft boards after his performance at the NFL Draft combine
For the last several months, I've screamed as loudly as possible that Tennessee Vols offensive lineman Darnell Wright is one of the most underrated players in the nation.
After the last few weeks, dating back to Wright's performance at the Senior Bowl, Wright is no longer underrated.
The West Virginia native is finally getting the recognition he deserves.
Wright was described by Alabama edge rusher Will Anderson last week as the best offensive lineman that he faced in college football.
That's obviously pretty high praise coming from a likely top 5 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
And the praise didn't stop there.
Former Philadelphia Eagles scout/director of pro personnel Louis Riddick made quite a statement about Wright this week during an appearance on ESPN.
"Darnell Wright is a monster," said Riddick. "He's an eraser. He will take people's hearts away in football games. Will (Anderson) struggled with this guy because he didn't have a pass-rush package, he didn't have a counter to go with it. He just kept trying to run down the middle on him and Darnell Wright is like 'Are you kidding me? You're not going anywhere.'"
Wright had the sixth-best 40-time by an offensive lineman at the combine. He also had the third-best long jump by an offensive lineman.
The former Vol allowed zero sacks in 2022, despite going against Anderson and LSU's BJ Ojulari (another potential first-round pick). Wright tested well at the combine, he has ideal size (6-foot-5/333 lbs), and he has a ton of SEC starting experience.
I'm not sure what else a team could want in an offensive tackle prospect. Wright is the total package and there's a really good chance he'll be a top-20 selection in next month's draft.
He might even have a chance to be the Vols' highest-drafted player since Derek Barnett went to the Eagles in 2017 with the No. 14 overall pick.
