Yahoo Sports Considers Darnell Wright a Franchise Cornerstone

Former Tennessee Volunteers offensive tackle Darnell Wright is getting high praise during the NFL Draft process, but few hold him in higher esteem than Yahoo Sports.

The discourse amongst analysts ahead of the NFL Draft is one of the most intriguing subplots of the entire event. It's fun to go back and see who really went there, who had the correct rankings, and why we loved certain prospects.

Offensive tackle Darnell Wright is a consensus first-rounder among fans, media members, and NFL executives. It's a matter of if, not when, he will be selected on day one, but no one has gone to the lengths that Yahoo Sports did. Staff writer Charles McDonald released a tiered grouping of his top 50 prospects in the upcoming class. He had three tiers: franchise cornerstones, early starters with attainable Pro Bowl upside, and solid starters grouped with developmental prospects.

🥁 @FourVerts Top 50 NFL Draft prospects 🥁

There are six true franchise cornerstones, but are any of them QBs? And who are the early starter/Pro Bowl-caliber talents vs. the rotational/developmental pieces? 👇 https://t.co/RRP0jBDxbM

— Joey Gulino (@JGulinoYahoo) March 21, 2023

Among the 50 names, only six were labeled "franchise cornerstones." That label holds weight - NFL franchises are worth billions of dollars, and a franchise cornerstone is one of the key faces of their organization. This early opinion could gain weight in the coming weeks, especially among league circles. Wright has tremendous size, pedigree, and is only 21 years old.

Darnell Wright, Tennessee OT

McDonald had Wright as his No. 1 offensive player, regardless of position. Only Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter and Alabama edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. came in higher than Wright, and those two have been no-doubt on-field evaluations for 18 months. Wright and McDonald actually squared off in the regular season, and Wright delivered an excellent performance. His timing was in rhythm, and it left NFL scouts wondering what he would look like at the next level when he must face the best pass rushers in the world.

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