Louis Riddick predicts Darnell Wright as best player to come out of 2023 NFL Draft

Darnell Wright will be the best player to come out of the 2023 NFL Draft, according to ESPN’s Louis Riddick. 

Riddick did not hesitate when he sang the praises of the Tennessee offensive tackle. Wright received a lot of buzz lately and could make one NFL franchise very happy about the future of their offensive line.

Riddick joined ESPN’s Get Up and raved about Wright.

“We’re gonna go past the draft man,” Riddick said. “Darnell Wright, tackle from Tennessee, 6-foot-5, 330 pounds. When I first saw him down at the Senior Bowl, I said ‘Who’s that mountain over there with jersey on and a helmet on?’ Then when you throw in the tape he made the switch from left tackle to right tackle this past year.

“You watch him against Alabama down there in Knoxville, he absolutely just shuts down Will Anderson. He will be the best player to come out of this draft regardless of position. Mark my words, (Darnell Wright), best player in this draft.”

Wright moved to right tackle last year after spending the 2021 campaign at left tackle. He did not allow a sack in his last 18 games.

Standing in at 6-foot-6, 335 pounds, the offensive lineman appeared in 46 games throughout his career with 41 starts. Wright finished the 2022 regular season not allowing a sack on 829 offensive snaps. In total, the tackle has logged 2,680 career snaps while making 26 starts at right tackle, 13 at left tackle and two at right guard.

As a member of the Class of 2019, Wright was a five-star recruit out of Huntington (W.V.) High, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He was the No. 1 overall prospect in the state, the No. 2 offensive tackle in the class and the No. 6 overall prospect in the class.

CLICK HERE to subscribe to the On3 YouTube channel today for all of the latest news on college football, recruiting, NIL, more! 

The 2023 NFL Draft is set to take place from Thursday, April 27 through Saturday, April 29 in Kansas City, Missouri. The event is located at the plaza just outside of Union Station.

Round 1 of the NFL Draft will begin 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, Apr. 27. Rounds 2-3 will begin at 7 p.m. ET on Friday, Apr. 28, and Rounds 4-7 will begin at 12 p.m. ET on Saturday, Apr. 29. The draft is broadcasted throughout the weekend on both ESPN and NFL Network.