2023 NFL Draft: Chicago Bears draft Tennessee OT Darnell Wright at No. 10

The Chicago Bears selected Tennessee offensive tackle Darnell Wright with the No. 10 overall pick in the NFL draft on Thursday, giving quarterback Justin Fields more protection after trading back one spot with Philadelphia.

The Bears clearly had no intention of drafting Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter and allowed the Eagles to switch spots with them. Chicago also got a fourth-round pick in 2024.

The 6-foot-5, 330-pound Wright was first-team, All-SEC as a right tackle last season. He played left tackle in 2021.

The Bears finished with the worst record in the league and set a franchise mark for losses while going 3-14 in their first season under general manager Ryan Poles and coach Matt Eberflus. But their frustrated fans are feeling at least a little more optimistic after some big offseason moves.

The Bears hired Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren as their new president and closed on a 326-acre tract of land in suburban Arlington Heights where they hope to build an enclosed stadium.

Poles pulled off a blockbuster trade for a play-making receiver in March when he acquired DJ Moore from the quarterback-needing Carolina Panthers. The Bears moved down eight spots and also got a haul of selections in return; Carolina took Alabama's Bryce Young at No. 1.

Wright is Poles' first opening-round pick. The Bears did not have one in 2022, after former GM Ryan Pace dealt it to the New York Giants the previous year to move up for quarterback Justin Fields.

Chicago's two most prominent additions in free agency were at linebacker, where they signed Buffalo two-time Pro Bowler Tremaine Edmunds (four years, $72 million, $50 million guaranteed) and former Eagle T.J. Edwards (three years, $19.5 million, $12 million guaranteed).

But they still had plenty of issues to address in the draft, including an edge rusher to boost a pass rush that finished with a league-low 20 sacks as well as a disruptor on the interior of the defensive line. They also needed to beef up the blocking to protect Fields, after he was sacked 55 times and tied Denver's Russell Wilson for most in the NFL.

The Bears came into the draft with 10 picks, including two second-rounders at 53 and 61 and the first pick of the third at No. 64. They also had two picks each in the fourth (103, 133), fifth (136, 148) and seventh (218, 258) rounds.