Ohio State’s Paris Johnson Jr., Northwestern’s Peter Skoronski and Georgia’s Broderick Jones are projected to be the top three offensive tackles off the board in the 2023 NFL Draft, but ESPN’s Louis Riddick believes there’s another tackle who could end up being better than them all.
In a recent column, Riddick listed his favorite draft prospects and sleepers to watch where he singled out University of Tennessee tackle Darnell Wright.
“Wright's move from left tackle to right tackle in 2022 might have turned a good college football player into a top-15 overall draft pick,” Riddick said. “And to take it a step further, his size, speed, aggressiveness and physical style put him in consideration to end up the best overall player of this draft class when it's all said and done. I believe Wright will be an All-Pro within his first three seasons. He has that much potential.”
Projected to be a late first-round pick, Wright is one of the more versatile offensive lineman in the draft, starting 27 games at right tackle, 13 at left tackle and two at right guard. The 6-foot-5, 333-pounder allowed just eight pressures and no sacks while playing 507 pass-blocking snaps across 13 games in 2022, according to Pro Football Focus.
What Darnell Wright did to Will Anderson should get you very excited about Wright. Or worried about Anderson. Just stonewalled Anderson. Plug and play? Feels like it for the Tennessee tackle.
— Mike Giardi (@MikeGiardi) April 7, 2023
Wright held Alabama's Will Anderson, a presumed top three pick, to just one pressure and no sacks in their Oct. 15 matchup, which was won 52-49 by Tennessee. Anderson averaged nearly 5.5 pressures (64 total) in the other 12 games he played.
A First Team All-SEC selection, Wright is also considered one of the top run blockers in the draft, serving as the anchor of an offensive line that blocked for a top-25 Vols rushing attack that accumulated 2,593 yards and scored 40 touchdowns, third-best in the FBS.
If you want to run the ball, @Vol_Football RT Darnell Wright is your guy.
— Jim Nagy (@JimNagy_SB) March 29, 2023
Few players boosted their draft stock at @seniorbowl more than Wright.
Hearing Top-20 buzz now from NFL teams.
This is what climbing to second-level & finishing looks like. #TheDraftStartsInMOBILE™️ pic.twitter.com/d0v55R0a9W
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