An offensive line prospect the Lions met with at both the Senior Bowl and formally at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine, Wright is definitely worthy of a long scouting look.
Darnell Wright, OL, Tennessee
Height: 6-foot-5
Weight: 333 pounds (Combine numbers)
He’s 21 years old
Wright was once one of the top recruits in the nation coming out of high school. He played right away at Tennessee as a right tackle. The big man started for three years, including two (2020 and 2022) as the right tackle sandwiched around a year on the left side.
Entering his final season, Wright was something of a draft afterthought — generally seen as a Day 3 prospect with a lot to prove. The move back to the right side unlocked a more consistent, technically sound athlete who surged into top-50 draft consideration. He was one of the best linemen at the Senior Bowl in recent years playing both tackle and guard, and Wright followed that up with a solid combine.
Pros
- Big frame with above-average power in his shoulders and leg drive
- Showed a big jump in hand usage and confidence in his ability in his final season at Tennessee
- Tremendous anchor strength vs. the bull rush
- Decent feet in a small area
- Rose to the level of high-end competition (Alabama’s Will Anderson, LSU’s B.J. Ojulari); he dominated Anderson head-to-head in 2022
- Plays with violence in his hands with jolting punches that can stand up defenders, though he will overreach at times
- Creates consistent movement right away as a run blocker
- Excellent in pass pro when attacked to his inside shoulder
- Experience starting at both tackle spots
- Improved his lateral and second-level blocking vision and ability to engage with balance in ’22
Cons
- Shorter arms (33.75 inches) than ideal for his height with small hands (9 inches) for a 6-foot-5 guy
- Improved his recovery block ability in ’22 but still struggles if he gets out-quicked off the line
- Hands still get too wide and high at times
- Doesn’t sink his weight consistently as a run blocker; will get top-heavy when facing shorter/smaller defenders
- Didn’t look natural or comfortable playing left tackle in ’21
- Has not been an effective “look for work” blocker with a couple of notable exceptions
- More of a leaner than a driver as a down blocker and when on the move, though he did this much better during Senior Bowl week
Overall
Wright sure looked like a first-round right tackle in 2022 and built upon that with a fantastic Senior Bowl week. It was a marked change from the inconsistent, technically sloppy player Wright was for most of his Volunteers career.
Due to his arm length and relative struggles against quickness, Wright might move inside to right guard. That would certainly be the case in Detroit, where Penei Sewell is a Pro Bowl right tackle. His ability to handle power, open up running lanes and finish blocks through the whistle are all appealing for a team like the Lions.
Wright projects as a first-rounder, usually in the 15-30 overall range. If the Lions want to address right guard prominently, Wright makes a lot of sense at No. 18, though he does have a lower floor than other top linemen and would need to make a position change. Impressive player on the rise, but not necessarily the best fit for the Lions.
