Bear Digest

Bears Breakout Player Projection Pads Ryan Poles' Reputation

Bears GM Ryan Poles has expertise on the offensive line and an NFL offensive all-breakout team certifies his touch at work.
Gene Chamberlain|
Right tackle Darnell Wright of the Bears has been identified as a breakout player for the 2024 season after earning 2023 all-rookie team honors.
Right tackle Darnell Wright of the Bears has been identified as a breakout player for the 2024 season after earning 2023 all-rookie team honors. | Jamie Sabau-USA TODAY Sports

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Chicago Bears

Bears GM Ryan Poles should count offensive line as an area of expertise and there has been some proof of this.

Poles drafted left tackle Braxton Jones and obtained a starter with flaws to his game but got a solid player in the fifth round at a position where most starters seem to be Day 1 or Day 2 draft picks.

Now NFL.com expects the second piece of evidence Poles knows offensive line as right tackle Darnell Wright has been named a member of Bucky Brooks' NFL.com all-breakout team.

"As a rookie in 2023, Wright delivered a series of eye-opening performances," Brooks wrote. "With the spotlight on (Caleb) Williams and Co. in 2024, Wright should catch even more attention. He's a bully on the edge with long arms and quick feet, possessing the tools and talent to play at a Pro Bowl level as a sophomore."

Wright was not named in earlier media attempts to identify breakout players. Both Pro Football Focus and The 33rd Team identified cornerback Tyrique Stevenson as a player who will break out in Year 2.

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"Stevenson was on the field for 830 snaps as a rookie and endured some struggles in the first half of the season," PFF's Trevor Sikkema wrote. "He looked much improved in the second half of the year, earning a PFF coverage grade above 65.0 in four of his final six starts."

PFF had Cleveland's massive Dawand Jones identified as its breakout right tackle earlier and had graded him last year slightly better than Wright during the regular season, though far below Wright as a run blocker.

A real problem with naming Wright as a breakout player is he must play alongside the Bears right guard and this is a mystery person at this point.

Nate Davis struggled through the offseason with apparent health issues and barely got on the field, though offensive line coach Chris Morgan thinks he did enough to be ready for the new offense when training camp begins.

"He did a really good job in the classroom, you know what I mean?" Morgan said. "Really good job in the film study and he’ll come back and be ready to go."

The problem here is without a consistent right guard, Wright will beginning his second season out on an island at right tackle. Competence at the next position over helps. Jones had veteran Cody Whitehair at left guard as a rookie and then Jenkins last year and it helped him get established.

Davis' ability to rebound could be a huge factor for both Wright and the entire offensive line.

Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.