The Chicago Bears are gearing up for the 2023 NFL season, which features plenty of new and returning faces within the organization. There are a number of players, coaches and front office members that are crucial to the team’s success this season.
Every day from now until the start of training camp, we’re counting down our 30 Most Important Bears for the 2023 season. We’ll recap their 2022 season, look ahead to 2023 and tackle the biggest question facing them this year.
We’ve reached top five with Darnell Wright, the rookie tackle who is tasked with beefing up the offensive line.
Background
Position: Right tackle
Age: 21
Experience: 1st season
2023 cap hit: $3.812 million
2022 recap
Wright finished out his decorated collegiate career at the University of Tennessee in a big way, helping the Volunteers to their best season in over 20 years while moving from left to right tackle. The hulking lineman kept Tennessee’s quarterbacks upright, not allowing a sack the entire season. His best performance of the year came against Alabama and star edge rusher Will Anderson during Tennessee’s dramatic 52-49 victory in which Wright didn’t allow the future No. 3 overall pick to create havoc in the backfield. After the season, Wright skyrocketed up draft boards and wound up going No. 10 overall to the Bears.
2023 outlook
It’s been 40 years since the Bears invested this type of draft capital into an offensive lineman, meaning expectations are through the roof. The 6-foot-6, 335-pound rookie is tasked with helping improve an offensive line that allowed 58 sacks in 2022 while shuffling players in and out at right tackle. That shouldn’t be the case in 2023 as Wright is slated to be the team’s starting right tackle when Week 1 gets underway. Things won’t be easy for him as he will get a crash course in handling NFL edge rushers right out of the gate. Fortunately, he’ll be playing next to a proven veteran in guard Nate Davis, who should be able to help bring Wright along as he develops.
Big question: What will Wright's rookie season look like?
Though he’s a top-10 pick, there are plenty of questions about what Wright’s rookie season will look like when the season gets going. Rookie tackles can take time to develop. Just look at Andrew Thomas and Penei Sewell. Both players had up-and-down rookie campaigns before settling into a groove despite being top-10 picks. Even if Wright struggles, though, staying healthy will be the top priority. The Bears have had bad luck in that category with their young tackles in the past. Marc Colombo, Chris Williams, and Gabe Carimi were all first-round tackles who dealt with injuries that derailed their careers. As long as Wright remains on the field, progress can be made. The question is, how much will we see in Year 1?
30 Most Important Bears of 2023
We’re counting down our 30 Most Important Bears of 2023. Check back every day leading up to the start of training camp.
