The Chicago Bears are going to draft a running back. If there is anything you can say with confidence about what happens in two weeks, it’s that. D’Andre Swift averaged 3.8 yards per carry last season. We also know head coach Ben Johnson doesn’t have a high opinion of him after green-lighting the trade to Philadelphia from Detroit two years ago. Add the depth concerns with only Roshcon Johnson behind him and it’s easy to see why the Bears likely attack the position early. What people want to know is who it will be.
Probably the two names mentioned the most often are Ashton Jeanty of Boise State and TreVeyon Henderson of Ohio State. Jeanty is the consensus top back in the draft and one of the best to come out of college in a decade. He has certified star power. Henderson is the most explosive back in the draft, earning comparisons to Jahmyr Gibbs, among others. He would be the obvious long-term replacement for Swift. However, that might not be the name to watch. Jeremy Fowler of ESPN brought it up in a recent column.
Keep an eye on Kaleb Johnson of Iowa.
“He’s got to go to a wide zone [rushing] team,” an AFC executive said. “The scheme fits him well, and he’s going to be a solid pro, but if you’re looking for somebody with early quickness or avoidability, he doesn’t have that.”
Examples of wide zone rushing teams include the San Francisco 49ers, Los Angeles Rams, Chicago Bears, Minnesota Vikings and Pittsburgh Steelers.
Fowler isn’t the only one who brought this up. Mason Cameron of Pro Football Focus also believes the Hawkeyes star is somebody the Bears have circled for early on Day 2 of the draft.
Should the Bears miss out on Ashton Jeanty in the first round, there is no need to panic. Johnson would be a solid option for one of Chicago’s two second-round selections. He is a physically gifted back with top-tier speed-to-power conversion that allowed him to notch top-percentile marks in elusive rating (131.5) and yards after contact per attempt (4.42) last season.
The Chicago Bears have every reason to like Johnson.
If you’re looking for a running back who just feels like he’s going to be a productive player for a long time, that is him. He isn’t special in any category. His size and power are solid. His speed is okay but not electric. This is somebody who fits the definition of “more than the sum of his parts.” Johnson gets the absolute most out of his talent through intelligence, vision, and instincts. Keep in mind Iowa had a passing attack that barely eclipsed 1700 yards. Every opponent knew they were running, and Johnson still had 1,537 yards and 21 touchdowns.
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Everything comes down to when the Chicago Bears want to pull the trigger. It is expected Johnson will be available in the 2nd round. Is that too early? Some feel he is more of a 3rd round target, but waiting until then would be risky. If Ryan Poles doesn’t want to tempt fate, going with Johnson at #39 or #41 would be a sensible decision. His fit in Ben Johnson’s offense would be silky smooth.
