The Chicago Bears had a decision to make this offseason. They landed the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, which put them in a position to select a franchise quarterback. With a new regime led by general manager Ryan Poles and head coach Matt Eberflus, there was some speculation about whether or not they would pick a quarterback and move on from Justin Fields.
Their decision was made pretty early on, as they committed to Fields by trading the No. 1 pick to the Carolina Panthers. They picked up premium draft capital in the deal and a true No. 1 wide receiver to bolster the passing game in D.J. Moore.
This offseason was all about upgrading the roster around Fields so that he has the best chance to succeed. Thus far, they have done a great job. In free agency, the team also signed offensive guard Nate Davis to upgrade the offensive line ahead of Fields.
While Fields did run into a few sacks during the season, the performance of the offensive line was underwhelming. They need to do a better job of protecting him and the addition of Davis was a good first step. In the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft, they took another step toward that by selecting Darnell Wright out of Tennessee.
Wright is a huge upgrade at the tackle spot for the Bears, as he could slide into the right tackle position from Day 1. He is already an excellent run blocker and there isn’t a team in the NFL that ran the ball more than Chicago last season, so he is a fit in that regard.
But, he is no slouch in pass protection. He has a mean streak that plays well on the field, and based on his wild comments in regard to Fields, it doesn’t stop on the field. Wright isn’t going to take kindly to anyone getting after his quarterback with foul play.
It is terrifying enough lining up against Wright on the field as he is listed at 6’5” and 333 pounds. If he happens to follow you into the parking lot, good luck. While there would be significant punishment handed out for such an action, it is good to know that Wright has a mindset to protect his quarterback no matter what.
Chicago will go as far as Justin Fields can take them. With the addition of Wright, the offensive line has gone from a weakness to a possible strength in 2023. After showing some incredible flashes in 2022, it will be a lot of fun to watch Fields behind a competent offensive line with real weapons at his disposal in 2023.
