By far the biggest disappointment for fans coming out of the 2025 draft was the Chicago Bears’ inability to land a big-name running back. It didn’t make sense. This was the deepest class in recent memory. Studs everywhere. Yet for six rounds, the team kept putting off. The belief is they had planned to take guys sooner, but other teams kept plucking ones they wanted. Ashton Jeanty was in the 1st round, TreVeyon Henderson was in the 2nd round, and Cam Skattebo was in the 4th round. Each one went just a few spots before the Bears. Not until the 7th were they able to land somebody they liked in Kyle Monangai of Rutgers.
That was a token solace for fans. Still, it means the Bears might have to get creative trying to supplement the position after their poor draft luck. That meant trying to find help in undrafted free agency. They may have done that. Word came down that the team had signed Texas State running back Deion Hankins. His production in college was solid but not great. He isn’t known for blazing speed. However, it doesn’t take long to recognize he is a throwback player with power, vision, and contact balance.
The Chicago Bears’ interest in Hankins is justified.
Throughout his college career, he was never the true bellcow in the backfield. He always shared carries with others. Yet that didn’t stop him from producing. Over his final three college seasons, he averaged 5.0 yards per carry. One could argue he declared for the pros too late. He might’ve been drafted if he’d come out in 2023 after going for 812 yards and five touchdowns at UTEP. Instead, he transferred to Texas State, where he was relegated to a small role in the offense.
After watching him, I think it is possible that he reminded Ryan Poles of former Kansas City Chiefs’ 3rd round pick, Knile Davis. Big, tough, and a downhill runner who always has a good feel for where the openings will be. Davis never panned out due to persistent injury problems, but there were flashes early in his career of him being good. Hankins embodies the same style without the long track record of health issues. He can make the roster if the Chicago Bears give him a proper shot in training camp.
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