Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles is off and running with his draft weekend to-do list, looking to improve a last-place roster and accelerate the team’ s return toward playoff contention. Bears trade down again and select Tennessee offensive tackle Darnell Wright with the No. 10 pick in the NFL draft Column: Drafting Darnell Wright the latest item on the.
Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles is off and running with his draft weekend to-do list, looking to improve a last-place roster and accelerate the team’s return toward playoff contention.
In a demanding and busy offseason, Poles has expressed eagerness to do his heaviest lifting through the draft. That process began in Thursday night’s first round and will continue through Saturday evening.
Bears remaining picks in 2023 NFL draft
As Poles and the Bears navigate the weekend, we will offer you a comprehensive look at each of the players the team selects.
Catch up on our draft coverage
Height, weight: 6-5, 333
Why the Bears drafted him
Wright is a massive man who is hard to move. And while he has experience playing on both sides of the offensive line, he excelled last season at right tackle, where he can be plugged in as an immediate starter for the Bears. Alabama’s Will Anderson Jr., who was selected No. 3 by the Houston Texans, singled out Wright as the opponent he had the most difficulty against last season. In 2021, Wright also had an eye-catching performance against Georgia’s Travon Walker, who was the top pick in the 2022 draft. Wright’s upside is undeniable and the flashes on his college tape are difficult to ignore.
Why he wasn’t drafted sooner
Wright was the second offensive tackle selected Thursday, so it’s not as if he had a grueling wait to hear his name called. Ohio State’s Paris Johnson Jr. was the first offensive lineman off the board, picked at No. 6 by the Arizona Cardinals. The Bears, after trading down one spot and passing on Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter, selected Wright over fellow offensive tackles Peter Skoronski of Northwestern — who went No. 11 to the Tennessee Titans — and Broderick Jones of Georgia.
In his own words
“As far as my talent and what I can do, I knew I could go this high. But it just took the right team to see that, the right coaches who know what they’re looking at and they know what I can be. I haven’t even reached my (potential). I’m just scratching the surface of what I can be. I think they know that. And I know that. It’s going to be fun.”
Analyst’s take
“He’s a mauler. He started 42 games at Tennessee. Go back and watch any of these games. Watch him against Travon Walker at left tackle (in 2021). Watch him at right tackle this year against Will Anderson. Watch him against the elite players in college football and watch him go eliminate them and shut them out. Then you just watch how he moves bodies. His power is real. His base is good. Everybody needs to be coached in this business. It’s a different game in the NFL than it is in college. But I think there’s an awful lot to like about his size, about his movement, about his power, about his mentality, about his experience.” — Brian Baldinger, analyst for Fox Sports, NFL Network and Audacy
You should know
In January, Wright had a strong week at the Senior Bowl playing for the American team that perhaps not coincidentally was coached by Bears offensive coordinator Luke Getsy. “It means a lot to know I already have a relationship a little bit with that guy,” Wright said.
Height, weight: 6-6, 310
Why the Bears drafted him
The team entered the draft with huge needs on the defensive line, and after passing on Georgia’s Jalen Carter Thursday night, it loomed as an area the Bears had to attack on Day 2. Dexter became a five-star recruit out of Lake Wales, Fla., High School despite waiting until his junior year to begin playing. Dexter got a ton of playing time for the Gators over the past two seasons, totaling 106 tackles, eight tackles for loss, 4½ sacks and an interception. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.88 seconds at the scouting combine and maybe more important was at 7.5 seconds in the three-cone drill, fifth among all defensive tackles.
Why he wasn’t drafted sooner
Dexter has a great frame and probably would have had his name called sooner if there were more disruptive and explosive play on tape. That said, he was the sixth defensive tackle selected — four spots after the Pittsburgh Steelers chose Wisconsin’s Keanu Benton — and the belief is Dexter’s best football is all ahead of him.
In his own words
”I can bring versatility, Wherever my place may be, I am going to contribute that way. I’m looking to compete, looking to get better. You can win some one-on-ones (as the three-technique) and I love being on an island, just you and that guard. As well as the zero, the shade, I am pretty comfortable with them all.”
You should know
The Bears doubled down on defensive tackles, selecting South Carolina’s Zacch Pickens at No. 64 to start Round 3, so versatility for both players will lead to more playing time. The Bears selected Dexter with the pick they received from the Baltimore Ravens in the Roquan Smith trade. So now they have Tremaine Edmunds playing on an $18 million a year deal — $2 million less than Smith averages in Baltimore — and Dexter. It would make sense that the Bears used the pick they got for Smith on a defensive linemen because for Edmunds to be effective, the team needs to be significantly better up front.
Height, weight: 6-0, 198
Why the Bears drafted him
The Bears traded a fifth-round pick (No. 136) to the Jacksonville Jaguars to move up five spots from No. 61 to draft Stevenson, who had three interceptions, 14 passes defended and four tackles for a loss in his final two seasons at Miami. He also played two years at Georgia, with 10 passes defended there.
