The Bears on Monday signed three of their 2023 draft picks: first-round tackle Darnell Wright, third-round defensive tackle Zacch Pickens and fourth-round receiver Tyler Scott.
Wright appeared in 47 games with 42 starts over four seasons at Tennessee, opening 27 contests at right tackle, two at right guard and 13 at left tackle. The versatile 6-5, 333-pounder did not allow a sack in his final 19 games with the Volunteers.
Last year Wright was a unanimous first-team all-SEC selection after starting all 13 games at right tackle. He was one of only 14 FBS offensive linemen with more than 850 snaps played and no sacks allowed with an efficiency of 99.0 or better, according to Pro Football Focus.
As a junior in 2021, Wright started all 13 games at left tackle, blocking for a Tennessee offense that set school records with 511 points and 6,174 total yards.
Wright started nine games at right tackle as a sophomore in 2020 and opened five contests at right tackle and two at right guard as a freshman in 2019.
Pickens appeared in 47 games with 32 starts over four seasons at South Carolina, registering 131 tackles, 11.5 tackles-for-loss and 7.5 sacks. Last year the 6-4, 300-pounder was named the Gamecocks' MVP, defensive MVP and most outstanding senior after producing 42 tackles, 4.0 tackles-for-loss and 2.5 sacks.
At T.L. Hanna High School in Anderson, S.C., Pickens was voted the South Carolina Gatorade Football Athlete of the Year and the state's Mr. Football as a senior after leading the Yellow Jackets to a 14-1 record and a berth in the 5A state title game.
Pickens told reporters earlier this month at Bears rookie minicamp that he's excited to be a member of such a storied NFL franchise.
"I grew up watching Devin Hester run," Pickens said. "Being a part of that is something special that you really don't get anywhere else, and I'm just glad to be in a great position that I could be a part of something that everybody cares about."
Scott appeared in 30 games over three seasons at Cincinnati, catching 87 passes for 1,439 yards and 14 touchdowns, an average of 16.5 yards per reception. Timed at a blazing 4.39 in the 40-yard dash at his Pro Day, he caught touchdown passes of 81 and 53 yards in 2021 and 41, 75, 61 and 76 yards in 2022 for the Bearcats.
After playing running back throughout his career at Norton High School just outside Akron, the 5-11, 185-pounder was switched to receiver upon arriving at Cincinnati in 2020.
Scott played sparingly while learning a new position as a freshman. He became a starter in 2021 on a Bearcats team that reached the College Football Playoff and then blossomed last year, earning second-team All-American Athletic Conference honors after establishing career highs in all receiving categories with 54 receptions, 899 yards and nine TDs.
The Bears have now signed seven of their 10 draft picks, with Wright, Pickens and Scott joining fifth-round linebacker Noah Sewell, fifth-round cornerback Terell Smith, seventh-round defensive tackle Travis Bell and seventh-round safety Kendall Williamson.
The three members of the Bears' 2023 draft class who remain unsigned are second-round defensive tackle Gervon Dexter Sr., second-round cornerback Tyrique Stevenson and fourth-round running back Roschon Johnson.
