The Case for Darnell Wright With Packers’ First-Round Pick
GREEN BAY, Wis. – Alabama edge rusher Will Anderson is the best defensive player in the 2023 NFL Draft. Who’s the best offensive tackle he faced?
Darnell Wright – the Tennessee offensive tackle and sure-fire first-round pick who a source confirmed is on a predraft visit with the Green Bay Packers.
“Darnell Wright from Tennessee, my sophomore year to my junior year, he had gotten way better,” Anderson said at the Scouting Combine. “Very athletic, can bend, can re-trace with his steps. If he gets off-balance, can sit down on powers, so it was really exciting going against him this year. He was really great.”
Wright started 42 games for the Volunteers, with 27 at right tackle, 13 at left tackle and two at right guard. He started 13 games at right tackle as a senior and was first-team all-SEC. With zero sacks allowed, he was a vital cog on an offense that led the nation in points and yards.
The improvement that Anderson spoke of was evident in the numbers. According to Pro Football Focus, Wright went from five sacks and 19 total pressures as a right tackle in 2020 to three sacks and 17 total pressures as a left tackle in 2021 to zero sacks and eight total pressures as a right tackle in 2022. He went from seven penalties in 2021 to two in 2022.
“I think I built on the things I lacked and stayed strong with the things I was good at. I don't know. Just progressing,” Wright said.
Just one of those pressures came in his showdown against Anderson. For context, Anderson had 65 pressures for the season.
“As the competition rises, I just want to meet that challenge,” Wright said. “You see the best guys and you want your name to be in there so much. I don't know how to explain it.”
According to Sports Info Solutions, which called Wright a “starting right tackle in a predominant zone-run scheme,” runs behind him had a positive success rate of 59 percent. That’s the second-best of the class. He was No. 1 in the class with zero blown blocks.
Not only did he become more physically mature at Tennessee, he became more experienced and studious. He credited those who came before him, such as current Chiefs standout Trey Smith, for improved film study.
“I break down guys into categories,” Wright explained. “You have speed. You have power. You have finesse. Rarely do you have somebody who's going to hit every one of those categories, so you give them maybe two out of three. A guy like Will Anderson, you'll give him speed and power. A guy like B.J. Ojulari (of Texas), you'll give him speed and finesse.”
Wright said he considers himself a left tackle but played on the right side because that’s what was best for the team.
As a rookie with the Packers, Wright would challenge Yosh Nijman for the starting job at right tackle. In the long run, depending on the futures of David Bakhtiari (potential cap casualty in 2024) and Nijman (free agent in 2024), Wright might get his shot on the left side.
At the Combine, Wright measured 6-foot-5 3/8 and 333 pounds with 33 3/4-inch arms. He ran his 40 in 5.01 seconds and his 0-to-10 Relative Athletic Score was 9.67.
“This guy has it all,” former NFL general manager Mike Tannenbaum said. “He’s a 40-plus-game starter at Tennessee, All-SEC and he’s had an unbelievable week. I think he’s working himself into the first round.
“You put on the Alabama tape; he was dominant and you’re seeing more of the same here. He’s a smooth mover, long arms; strong, great fundamentals. I don’t see any holes in his game. When you look to project to the next level, he has the prototypical size and skill set to be a front-line offensive tackle.”
Wright said his favorite lineman is Trent Williams, who is a potential Hall of Famer because of his prowess as a run blocker as well as a pass blocker. Tackles make their money protecting quarterbacks. Which is Wright’s preference?
“Run the ball. I want to run the ball,” he told SI’s Jets Country. “Pass blocking is cool, but I want to run the ball.”
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