NFL scout gives his take on Vols OL Darnell Wright's draft stock
Tennessee Vols offensive tackle Darnell Wright has seen his draft stock rise significantly over the last couple of months. Wright has gone from a player who might sneak into the first round to a potential top-10 selection. Strong performances at the Senior Bowl and the draft combine have helped elevate Wright's draft stock. Sometimes, rising […]
Tennessee Vols offensive tackle Darnell Wright has seen his draft stock rise significantly over the last couple of months.
Wright has gone from a player who might sneak into the first round to a potential top-10 selection.
Strong performances at the Senior Bowl and the draft combine have helped elevate Wright's draft stock.
Sometimes, rising draft stocks can be an illusion.
There's often a lot of misinformation put out by teams in an attempt to alter the draft approach of another franchise (remember all of the talk about Malik Willis going in the first round last year only to see him fall to the third round?).
That doesn't appear to be the case with Wright. The hype is legit. And teams are absolutely interested in selecting Wright in the top half of the first round.
It's not just because of his strong pre-draft performances, either. Wright's tape speaks for itself. And that's what makes NFL scouts excited.
From ESPN: "There wasn't an offensive tackle that went through a worse gauntlet of pass-rushers, and he passed the test with flying colors," a scout told me. "He limited [Alabama's Will Anderson Jr.] during their matchup, [LSU's BJ] Ojulari couldn't do anything against him, and he battled hard against [Clemson's Bryan] Bresee in the bowl game — which most players would've opted out of anyway."
Wright went up against elite competition in 2022 and he dominated. He can't prove much more than what he proved last season.
I'd expect to see Wright drafted in the No. 13 to No. 17 range (I don't think he slips past the Pittsburgh Steelers at No. 17).
