Top under-the-radar Chicago Bears players to watch in 2025: No. 4 Darnell Wright

The Bears made a lot of the headlines this offseason. It started when general manager Ryan Poles hired Ben Johnson to be his new head coach and continued in the following months when Poles revamped his offensive line and boosted the defensive line.

There’s plenty to watch once training camp starts later in July. Many will look to see how the Bears adjust to Johnson’s new coaching staff and how quarterback Caleb Williams looks heading into his second season.

But there are some under-the-radar players who could become contributors in 2025. Shaw Local is counting down the top five under-the-radar Bears this week. These could be Bears who are waiting for an opportunity to take on a bigger role, rookies looking to make an impact or simply a player who Bears fans aren’t talking enough about.

Here’s a look at No. 4 on the list. Check back each day this week for the next installment.

No. 4 Darnell Wright

Position: Right tackle

Experience: Third season

Looking back: Poles selected Darnell Wright with his first first-round selection in 2023 when he chose him at No. 10 overall — the Bears didn’t have a first-round pick in Poles’ first season in 2022. The Bears originally held the No. 9 overall pick but traded it to the Philadelphia Eagles for No. 10 and a fourth-round pick. The Eagles used the pick to take defensive tackle Jalen Carter, who earned All-Pro honors last season and helped Philadelphia win the Super Bowl.

Wright jumped into the starting right tackle spot right away at the start of his rookie season. Over two years, he’s started 33 games for the Bears, missing just one game. He’s also played the position at a consistent level.

According to Pro Football Focus, Wright ranked as the 16th tackle in the NFL last season with a score of 79.3. The group ranked Wright as the seventh-best tackle when it came to run blocking with a 82.2 grade. Wright finished 35th among tackles in pass blocking with a grade of 75.4.

Wright has also played in a disciplined manner over his two seasons. He was called for six penalties last season, five of which were accepted, according to Pro Football Reference. Three of those penalties were for false starts.

Looking ahead: The changes on the Bears offensive line made headlines this offseason that will continue heading into training camp. Poles traded for guards Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson and signed center Drew Dalman. There will also be a competition for the starting left tackle spot among Braxton Jones, Ozzy Trapilo and Kiran Amegadjie.

But Wright has sort of fallen under the radar. He could be the lone returning starter from last season’s offensive line if Jones doesn’t win the left tackle spot. The third-year lineman has become an anchor at the right side of the Bears’ line.

Poles opened the possibility that Wright could be in contention at left tackle before the draft in April. Wright had previously played left tackle at the University of Tennessee. But Johnson told reporters over the spring that Wright will stay at right tackle for the time being.

While Wright has played at a consistent level, he can still reach another level after being taken in the top-10. Wright could improve his pass protection after allowing six sacks last season. Improvements in the interior of the Bears’ line should help Wright take his game to another level after a strong start to his career.