David Montgomery is a 3rd round pick. That is set in stone. Normally players drafted that late tend not to get a ton of attention from analysts. At least in regards to their chances of becoming top contributors in the NFL right out of the gate. Those votes are reserved for the 1st and 2nd round guys. Yet Montgomery is a special case.
For one, he’s a running back. Players at that position tend to get action as rookies more often than others because of how easy it can be to execute. Just take the ball and run to daylight. Many times there have been picks even later than the 3rd round who had instant success as rookies. Jordan Howard set the Bears rookie rushing record in 2016 as a 5th rounder.
So this is a big reason there is such optimism around Montgomery. The feeling is he’ll likely be the primary back in the offense by the second half of the season. If everyone else improves around him, it should open up big opportunities to excel. In fact, belief is so high that some have taken to stating he can claim a notable NFL award.
David Montgomery ranked 3rd among favorites for Rookie of Year
Lance Zierlein of NFL.com is their primary draft expert. He constructed a list of the top 10 players he feels have the best shot to win Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2019. His first two choices weren’t all that surprising. At #1 was 1st overall pick Kyler Murray of Arizona. Right behind him at #2 was another 1st rounder, Oakland Raiders running back Josh Jacobs. Then, sitting neatly at #3, was Montgomery.
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“Of all the running backs in the 2019 draft, Montgomery might be the safest, based on his size, toughness and creativity as a runner. While Mike Davis may begin the season as the starter, Chicago finished tied for sixth in the league in rushing attempts last season (468), so there should be more than enough carries to go around.
The Bears have a solid group of talent along the offensive line and if Mitchell Trubisky can continue to improve as a passer and force safeties off the line of scrimmage, the running game has a chance to take off with Montgomery leading the charge by midseason.”
In fact, Montgomery was the only player drafted outside the first two rounds to make the list. That should offer a clear indication that the Bears may have gotten themselves a steal. He’s already been turning heads in minicamp practices with his mixture quickness, vision, and receiving prowess. People are anxious to see what he can do in this Matt Nagy offense.
