Packers to host Tennessee OT Darnell Wright on a pre-draft visit, per report

Green Bay Packers fans can add another name to the list of players visiting the team ahead of the 2023 NFL Draft. Tennessee offensive tackle Darnell Wright is heading to Green Bay for a pre-draft visit, according to Josh Norris.

A massive player at 6’5” and 333 pounds, Wright was a mainstay at tackle for the Volunteers over the past few seasons. He switched back and forth from right to left tackle, starting on the right side in 2019 (5 games), 2020 (9 games), and 2022 (all 13 games) and playing on the left side for the entire 2021 season. Wright’s senior season earned him unanimous first-team All-SEC honors, as he did not allow a single sack all season.

Wright’s athleticism should be part of what makes him so appealing to the Packers — or to any team, for that matter. His workout at the NFL Combine put him in the upper echelon of athletic tackles, with a 9.67 RAS:

More to the point regarding the Packers, however, is how that athleticism breaks down. Aside from the 3-cone, which he did not perform in Indianapolis, he hits the Packers’ traditional markers for offensive linemen: a shuttle faster than 4.75 seconds and a 10-yard split faster than 1.80. With a quality shuttle time and good explosiveness, it’s reasonable to project that he would be in the ideal range for the 3-cone (<7.70) as well.

If the Packers are looking for a starting tackle of the future, Wright could be in play for the team as high as the 15th overall pick. Though he is currently listed at #36 overall on Arif Hasan’s Consensus Big Board, he has been trending upward in recent weeks, with a number of notable draft analysts projecting him as a first-round pick. One notable projection came from ESPN’s Mel Kiper, Jr. after the Combine, when he mocked Wright to the Washington Commanders at #16, just one pick behind the Packers.

Wright joins a growing list of reported Packers pre-draft visitors. The team is continuing its recent trend of inviting both potential early picks as well as possible late-rounders or undrafted free agents. In addition to Wright, other potential first-round selections include Georgia tight end Darnell Washington, Iowa State edge rusher Will McDonald IV, and Wright’s teammate, Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker.