Former Tennessee OT Darnell Wright has a strong NFL debut for Chicago Bears

The Chicago Bears did not start their season they way they hoped. Far from it, actually, as they were soundly defeated 38-20 by the Jordan Love-led Green Bay Packers. However, all was not lost, as a key foundation for the team's future turned in a very promising showing. Bears rookie right tackle Darnell Wright led […]

Craig Smith — College Football & NFL Trending News Writer

Sep 12, 2023 2:14 PM EDT

The Chicago Bears did not start their season they way they hoped. Far from it, actually, as they were soundly defeated 38-20 by the Jordan Love-led Green Bay Packers.

However, all was not lost, as a key foundation for the team's future turned in a very promising showing.

Bears rookie right tackle Darnell Wright led all Chicago offensive linemen with a Pro Football Focus overall grade of 72.1. The next highest was left tackle Braxton Jones with 62.0, guards Nate Davis and Cody Whitehair with 48.6 and 47.2, respectively, and C Lucas Patrick with 43.2.

Wright turned in a pass blocking rating of 64.8, second best on the team behind Jones' 89.0. However, Wright's run blocking grade of 77.0 was better than the next-best Bears OL (Nate Davis) by 18.9 points.

Among all 65 NFL tackles, Wright's 72.1 grade was good for 12th, per PFF. That's a pretty high spot for Wright to slot into in his first-ever NFL game.

And among his 2023 first-round peers, only 5 of 31 turned in a higher first-game grade than Wright. PFF had the following to say about Wright's performance:

Wright was easily the Bears’ highest-graded offensive lineman in Week 1. While he struggled in pass protection, allowing five pressures, he shined in the run game. His 77.0 run-blocking grade led the team. He showed good athleticism on several occasions, including a nice seal on Khalil Herbert's touchdown run. Wright is off to a good start. The Bears are hoping the rest of their offense can follow suit. – Dalton Wasserman, Pro Football Focus

Wright will have his bumps in the road, as no rookie is going to coast through his first season without some learning moments. That's especially true in pass blocking, where could stand to improve the most.

However, Wright looked right at home on the right side of the Bears' line and was a mauler in the run game. He earned a reputation at Tennessee for being a mean, physical, and nasty run blocker for the Volunteers. He's already lived up to that reputation in his first chance in the NFL.

If he can continue to improve his pass protection, the sky is the limit for the Bears' young anchor.