The Wright call? Bears trade down a spot, select Tennessee tackle Darnell Wright

Best available.

It should have been that easy for GM Ryan Poles when the Bears were on the clock with the 10th pick of the NFL draft on Thursday.

So gaping are most of the holes on his 3-14 squad that Poles didn't need to guess or reach or get cute in the first round. The Bears need a pass rusher, a run stuffer, a run blocker/pass protector, dynamic linebackers, a running back and a game-breaking wideout.

So take the best available player. Period.

Now, is that what Poles did when he selected 6-foot-5, 333-pound offensive lineman Darnell Wright out of Tennessee?

Only time will tell.

Poles certainly believes he made the right decision. And Wright will no doubt be a nice addition to the offensive line. But one has to wonder if the better choice wasn't Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter, who went to the Eagles at No. 9 after Philadelphia moved up one spot by giving the Bears a fourth-round pick in 2024.

Some believe Carter was the most talented player in the draft, but his stock plummeted after he was in a January car accident that killed a Georgia teammate and a staff member. Carter, who faced charges for reckless driving and racing, was sentenced to 12 months probation in March after entering no contest pleas.

Needless tragedies like this are so difficult for everyone involved and there's no doubt some teams shied away from the explosive defensive end because of this incident.

Poles also passed on two other linemen that some pundits had ranked higher than Wright: Northwestern's Peter Skoronski (who went to Tennessee at No. 11) and Georgia's Broderick Jones (who went to Pittsburgh at No. 14).

“The teams, they do this for a living. This is their job,” Wright said when asked what it felt like to be selected ahead of where he was projected. “I mean, they know what they're doing. I'm just happy (the Bears) believed in me and saw what I think a lot of people saw.”

In the big picture, the O-line is getting a giant upgrade in Wright.

“Wright is massive, but he plays with balance,” writes ESPN's Steve Muench. “He has quickness to reach the second level, and he dominates linebackers when he gets into their pads.”

Incredibly, this is the first time since 2013 (Kyle Long at No. 20) that the Bears took an offensive lineman in the first round.

It's the highest the Bears have taken an O-lineman since 1983 when they took Jimbo Covert at No. 6. All Covert did was anchor one of the best lines in team history during a Hall of Fame career.

Wright will be tasked with paving the way for RBs Khalil Herbert and D'Onta Freeman, but also slowing down pass rushers so that Justin Fields has more time to find targets like D.J. Moore, Darnell Mooney, Chase Claypool and Cole Kmet.

“That's what I'm there for — anything he needs,” Wright said of Fields. “That's my job to keep him clean. Amazing quarterback. We're gonna have a great team.”

And what do all great teams have? Impressive lines on both side of the ball. And the Bears have neglected their O-line for so long it's almost criminal.

Maybe they made a mistake by not taking Carter. If he becomes as unstoppable as Reggie White, Deacon Jones, Bruce Smith or J.J. Watt, then we'll definitely know Poles made the wrong decision.

But for now, this felt like the prudent — and perhaps even — the Wright choice.