The Chicago Bears didn’t get the breaks they hoped for at running back in the draft. Whenever they seemed poised to grab one, other teams got there first. GM Ryan Poles was forced to pivot multiple times. Not until the 7th round did he finally land on someone the coaching staff liked. Kyle Monangai wasn’t anything special at first glance. He was a somewhat shorter running back who didn’t have any special athletic traits. However, that didn’t stop him from putting up back-to-back 1200-yard seasons in the Big Ten for a perennial basement dweller in Rutgers.
Initial estimates had him competing for the #3 running back spot behind D’Andre Swift and Roschon Johnson. That meant going head to head with Travis Homer, a special teams specialist and far more experienced player. However, that might be selling the rookie short. Former tight end Clay Harbor spent time watching Monangai in OTAs and minicamps. He believes the 7th round pick showed more than enough to put him in direct competition for the #2 spot behind Swift.
Kyle Monangai can offer the same things Johnson can.
With Swift being the primary receiving back in this offense, the Bears will want the #2 guy to be a more physical runner who is good in short yardage and also brings value as a pass protector. Those are two areas of strength for Kyle Monangai. What he lacks in size, he makes up with lower-body power. He can drive through arm tackles and keep pushing for those extra yards. Meanwhile, he’ll stick his nose in on blitz pickups with regularity. The battle between him and Roschon will be one of the most competitive of camp. It sounds like the Bears coaching staff loves both of them. Running backs coach Eric Bieniemy could be the deciding factor in who ultimately gets the job. Ben Johnson trusts his judgment on these things. If Monangai wins, it will be confirmation the Bears may have gotten a steal.
