Darnell Wright says his job is to keep Bears QB Justin Fields clean

The Chicago Bears did what many NFL Draft analysts thought they’d do in the first round by selecting an offensive tackle to protect QB Justin Fields. And while choosing Tennessee’s Darnell Wright may have been a small surprise to fans who hoped for Peter Skoronski or Paris Johnson Jr., the result is a plug-and-play starter at right tackle.

“I haven’t even scratched the surface of what I can be,” Wright said Thursday night. “I think (the Bears) know that, and I know that.”

Wright will pair with last year’s top rookie Braxton Jones, who shined at left tackle despite being a Day-3 selection.

“As far as my talent and what I can do, I knew I could go this high,” Wright said. “It just took the right team to just see that, the right coaches who know what they’re looking at, and they know what I can be.”

Darnell Wright also knows he’s joining the Chicago Bears with one primary job description: keep Fields safe.

“That’s my job — to keep him clean,” Wright said. “Amazing quarterback.”

“I believe he can end up being the best player in this draft regardless of position,” ESPN’s Louis Riddick said during the Draft. “He is a freaking animal.”