The Bears need first-round pick Darnell Wright to be an immediate starter at right tackle, and his next step toward that goal will be sharpening his technique during training camp as he goes full speed against NFL pass rushers for the first time.
He appears to be in good position to do that after an impressive offseason.
Bears general manager Ryan Poles acknowledged it’ll likely take time for Wright to develop into a polished player, but raved about his physique when players reported to Halas Hall on Tuesday.
“This offseason, he busted his butt,” Poles said. “He lost weight; He lost body fat, He crushed the conditioning test — didn’t break a sweat.”
Poles didn’t specify how much weight Wright dropped, but the Bears listed him at 6-foot-6, 335 pounds when they drafted him.
Wright is a pivotal pick for Poles, who traded down from No. 1 to 9 in a deal with the Panthers, then passed on Georgia All-American defensive tackle Jalen Carter by trading again with the Eagles down to No. 10.
The Bears were eager to revamp their offensive line after allowing 58 sacks last season (fourth-most in the NFL) and are bringing back left tackle Braxton Jones as the lone lineman returning in the same position. Teven Jenkins likely is moving from right guard to left, Cody Whitehair is shifting from guard to center, free agent Nate Davis is expected to play right guard and Wright will debut at right tackle.
