Player: Darnell Wright
School: Tennessee
Measurables:
- Height: 6’5” (NFL Combine)
- Weight: 333 (NFL Combine)
- 40: 5.01(NFL Combine)
- 10 Yard Split: 1.81 (NFL Combine)
- Bench: DNP
- Vertical Jump: 29” (NFL Combine)
- Broad Jump: 9’6” (NFL Combine)
- 3 Cone: DNP
- 20 Yard Shuttle: DNP
- Other Notes: Wright was one of our biggest winners of the offensive line group from the Combine. He had a strong 40, but not a great 10 yard split which is more important for linemen. He looked good in the positional drills as well. One of the biggest wins for Wright though was being called the best lineman gone against by Georgia’s Robert Beal and Alabama’s Will Anderson.
Graded Offensive Line Traits:
- First-Level Run Blocking: 7.25/10
- Second-Level Run Blocking: 8.75/10
- Pass Blocking: 7.75/10
- Blitz/Stunt Pickup: 5.25/10
- Pulling(if applicable): 6.5/10
- Footwork: 8/10
- Hands: 7.25/10
- Initial Contact: 5.5/10
Prospect Grade: 56.25/80; 70.3%- Top tier starter with pro bowl potential
Projected Draft Day: Round 1
Player Comparison: Penei Sewell
Player Summary:
Darnell Wright is a really good offensive tackle prospect. The first note I have about Wright is that he’s the first RT that I’ve watched. If you really need a LT I guess you could transition him to the left side, but I feel like it’s not often that you find a 1st round graded RT that wasn’t converted by their college before they transitioned into the league. I think the team who drafts Wright should try to keep him at RT if possible.
Watching Wright on tape was really interesting. He struggled pretty hard against Pitt. Kancey and the Pitt D-Line ate Wright up pretty much all game long especially in pass pro. When they had him pull he looked completely incapable of doing so. He didn’t move well, it looked like he was waddling, and he looked slow. However, when you watch Wright against SEC Powerhouses like Alabama and Georgia he looked like a franchise RT. He absolutely neutralized Will Anderson against Bama and several different defenders from UGA. He looked extremely smooth and quick when asked to pull too. The Pitt game was early in the year so I wonder if Wright just struggled early and got his footing as time went on? I mean Pitt has been known for its D-Line in recent years, but it’s hard to imagine they were better than Bama or Georgia.
Wright is a good, not great, first level blocker but is extremely smooth in transition to the second level and secures his blocks with minimal-no issue. He is strong in pass pro for the most part, but he can beat himself sometimes. Meaning, he kick slides too far sometimes, in line with or deeper than the QB dropped, which makes it a much easier path to sack the QB. When Wright slides and then stands strong in pass pro he looks really good. The only other note I have on Wright is that when you watch him get off at the snap, he is sometimes late firing out. Either he’s not ready or does not know the snap count. I understand if it happens once or twice but this was something I noticed more than a few times.