Bears select offensive lineman Darnell Wright with 10th overall pick in NFL Draft
CHICAGO (CBS) -- The Chicago Bears selected Tennessee offensive lineman Darnell Wright at the No. 10 overall pick in Thursday's first round of the NFL Draft after another trade.
The Wright guy for the job.
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) April 28, 2023
Welcome to Chicago, @darnell_5232! pic.twitter.com/iXoEPWCURt
The Bears swapped picks with the Philadelphia Eagles to pick at No. 10. The Bears also received a fourth round pick in 2024.
Wright, a 6-foot-6, 330-pound lineman, appeared in 47 games with 42 starts over four seasons with Tennessee. He was a unanimous first-team All-SEC selection after 13 games at right tackle last season. He played in the Senior Bowl in January on American Team which was coached by Bears offensive coordinator Luke Getsy, according to the team.
New Bears draft pick Darnell Wright started his zoom with the Chicago media saying he's in shock right now. Says he's really happy and just "trying to put sentences together." Clearly stoked about the opportunity. @cbschicago pic.twitter.com/73IS2NDibA
— Matt Zahn (@mattzahnsports) April 28, 2023
The Bears entered the night in the No. 9 overall pick after the team traded away the No. 1 overall pick to the Carolina Panthers last month in exchange for four draft picks and wide receiver DJ Moore.
The Bears had plenty of options to choose from as the team looked to beef up its talent on both the offensive and defensive line.
Assistant General Manager Ian Cunningham said days before the draft that the Bears have a group of about six to eight players they're focused on going into Thursday night.
The Bears have four picks in the first 64 of the 2023 NFL Draft with picks nine, 53, 61 and 64. They will also have multiple first-round picks in 2024, and multiple second-round picks in 2025, a hopeful outlook for a team going through a total rebuild.
Other draft notes
University of Illinois cornerback Devon Witherspoon was selected by the Seattle Seahawks at No. 5 overall. He was the 21st first-round pick, the seventh top 10 pick and highest-drafted defensive back in program history.
Witherspoon is one of the most decorated players in Illini history after being named Consensus All-American and the program's first Thorpe Award finalist, as one of the top three defensive backs in college football. He recorded 42 total tackles, three interceptions and four pass deflections last season.
Northwestern offensive lineman Peter Skoronski was selected by the Tennessee Titans at No. 11 overall. Skoronski was named AP first-team All-American last season and had the highest pass block grade in the FBS, according to Pro Football Focus.
Skoronski spent the past two seasons starting every game at left tackle, but some draft analysts believe his size could make him a "top-flight guard."