Wright or Skoronski? Bears' OT decision might not be simple

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If the Bears do make a selection at No. 9 in the 2023 NFL Draft, there's a good chance general manager Ryan Poles chooses to address the gaping hole at offensive tackle.

There are four elite-level tackles at the top of the class in Paris Johnson Jr., Broderick Jones, Darnell Wright, and Peter Skoronski.

With Braxton Jones improving throughout his rookie season, it's reasonable to expect the Bears to give the Southern Utah product a full NFL offseason to build his strength, work on his anchoring against the bull rush, and see how big of a leap he can take in Year 2. Poles has said he wants to bring in "competition" to push Jones, but whoever is selected at No. 9 overall will, or at least should, be a Day 1 starter.

With that in mind, addressing the right tackle position might be the best move for the Bears in Round 1.

While there's a case that all four can succeed on the right side, Wright and Skoronski make the most sense for that role.

Wright is coming off a brilliant final season at Tennessee, where he allowed just eight pressures and didn't give up a sack for the Vols. The 6-foot-5, 333-pound tackle stymied Alabama star Will Anderson and dominated LSU's B.J. Ojulari, both of whom will be top-40 picks.

Skoronski is the most technically sound offensive lineman in the class. The only thing keeping Skoronski from being the unquestioned top tackle in the class is his 32 1/4-inch arms which might force him to kick inside.

The Bears' calculus at No. 9 could very well come down to Skoronski or Wright. NFL Media draft expert Daniel Jeremiah can see the case for either one.

"I think if you are just saying as a pure tackle, [Wright's] tape is really, really good," Jeremiah said Thursday on a conference call with NFL media members. "And playing on the right side this year, everybody has
talked about the fact that he took a big leap in this year, but it's hard to find guys that are 330 pounds that move like him and are as strong as he is at right tackle. I think he is plug-and-play. I think he is ready to go.

"I have a higher grade on Skoronski. I think Skoronski can play tackle. I think Skoronski can be a good tackle, but I think Skoronski can be an unbelievable guard. My order there would be Skoronski and then Wright, but I have in my final ranking I have Paris Johnson, Darnell Wright, Broderick Jones. They're literally 16, 17, 18 on my list. I'm a little higher on Skoronski, but I think all four of those guys are going to be starters. I think if you had to play a game tomorrow and know you were going to line up and play tackle, I think Darnell Wright might be your best option as a right tackle right away who could plug in there and get going. So I don't think there's a wrong answer there, but for me personally I just think Skoronski is the best overall football player."

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Jeremiah believes that there is a significant drop-off after the top four tackles. Once the first domino falls, the other three could go fast.

That's the risk the Bears run if they elect to trade down from No. 9.

With the New York Jets (No. 13), New England Patriots (No. 14), Washington Commanders (No. 16), and Pittsburgh Steelers (No. 17) all potentially in the tackle market, a trade-down could cost the Bears a chance at a plug-and-play starter with All-Pro upside.

Poles will be open to moving down. Depending on where and when the top-four quarterbacks go, a big trade opportunity could fall into the Bears' lap.

If it doesn't, the Bears could find themselves on the clock at No. 9 with the chance to start the tackle run. Skoronski is talented, but if he has to kick inside, the Bears will be left with a gaping hole at right tackle.

A hole Wright is ready to fill on Day 1.

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