Bears Live Draft Grades
The Bears taking tackle Darnell Wright proved less of a shock than the way they got him.
When Jalen Carter is obviously a generational type talent on the defensive line and the Bears need a three technique at tackle, they really need conviction about a particular player to pass on the embattled Georgia defender. So it's obvious they wanted Wright.
At least they got their guy. They also got an SEC guy, something they badly needed. Give them a B for this grade.
They didn't get the chance at tackle Paris Johnson Jr. since he had been taken already but it sounds as if at the very least, they had marked Wright as one of the players they wanted at No. 9 if they couldn't get Johnson. Or they may have liked Wright even better, because offensive line coach Chris Morgan told Wright he had wanted to phone him ahead of time to say they were picking him, but he had to maintain secrecy.
So for knowing what they wanted and being sure they wanted no part of Carter and his possible off-field troubles, the Bears braintrust earns high marks.
As for the talent itself, this is a 333-pound tackle and they just told everyone they didn't want Orlando Brown Jr. in free agency because he didn't fit the system. Brown is bigger still at 6-8, 363, but Wright does have quickness for a big man with a 5.01-second 40-yard dash and 1.81-second 10-yard split.
He also proved he can block by shutting down Will Anderson Jr. in the classic, wild 52-49 OT win by Tennessee over Alabama. A one-pressure, no-sack day going against Anderson indicated what the Volunteers tackle can do against the best competition.
The Bears definitely upgraded the right tackle position and, as a result, the entire offensive line because they are able to keep Braxton Jones at left tackle where he felt comfortable last year. If they took Northwestern's Peter Skoronski or Johnson, it wasn't clear they would have been able to do this.
The only players really changing position on the line will be Cody Whitehair and Teven Jenkins, and Whitehair has played center in the past so it is nothing new to him. Jenkins playing left guard is the real switch.
The other aspect of the pick is they could have picked Skoronski as a player who was most ready to step into the NFL and block on the line, but again here a tradeoff existed Wright has played right tackle, Skoronski hasn't really done it, even if he is a brilliant technician as a blocker. The Tennessee Titans took Skoronski one pick after the Bears drafted, at No. 11.
ROUND ONE
GRADE:
B Johnson would have been a better fit for their scheme but Wright doesn't need to be broken in at right tackle and they can keep Jones at his spot. No doubt this will be revisited when Carter becomes an NFL star for the Eagles, and make no mistake this will happen because Philadelphia GM Howie Roseman doesn't make major mistakes on early picks like that. It doesn't have to mean Wright is a wasted pick, though. And if he delivers then the Eagles can be congratulated, all while the Bears watch Justin Fields pass without being harassed because of Wright's blocking.
Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven
