Darnell Wright Has Many NFL Suitors

Tennessee Volunteers offensive tackle Darnell Wright has a litany of predraft visits with NFL franchises and is making a strong pick to become a first-round pick.
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NFL scouts have a checklist; the more boxes you check, the higher your grade is. Some of these prerequisites are age, size, athleticism, pedigree, and experience, all of which Tennessee offensive tackle Darnell Wright meets.

Every step of the predraft journey has been a proving ground for Wright. Evaluators referred to him as an "undraftable" prospect last year, so he returned to school and dominated in 2022. Wright spent four seasons with the team but is still just 21 years old, younger than Georgia offensive tackle Broderick Jones who spent three seasons in college.

He dominated at The Reese's Senior Bowl, turned in an outstanding showing at the NFL Combine, and lived up to expectations at his pro day. The only thing that stands between him and the NFL Draft are several Top-30 visits with inquiring teams; according to a report, Wright has 14 Top-30 visits lined up with different franchises. That's one of the highest marks of any prospect, as most don't meet with that many, even at the NFL Combine.

According to sources, some evaluators have Wright graded as the No. 1 offensive tackle in this class. Other popular names are the aforementioned Jones and Northwestern offensive tackle Peter Skoronski, who many project as a high-level NFL guard.

The report confirms that Wright's performance against Alabama edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. is a big selling point for NFL general managers. Seeing him put forth the effort he did against a No. 1 overall pick type-talent was impressive and something that few other tackles in this class can say.

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Evan Crowell
EVAN CROWELL

Evan Crowell is the lead publisher of Sports Illustrated-FanNation's Volunteer Country, serving as a beat reporter covering football, basketball, and recruiting. He previously worked as the lead publisher of Sports Illustrated-FanNation's Gamecocks Digest.