Chicago Bears fans didn’t react much when Kyle Monangai was drafted. That wasn’t surprising. Players selected in the 7th round never get the buzz for obvious reasons. Most selected that late rarely amount to anything in the NFL. Besides, fans saw the Rutgers product as nothing more than a minor consolation prize. They’d been hoping the Bears would draft a running back much earlier in what experts called one of the best classes in recent memory. Not doing so was considered a massive failure.
However, there were rumblings that Monangai was more than meets the eye. Despite a rather average athletic profile, he’d produced back-to-back 1200-yard seasons in the Big Ten. He overcame size and speed disadvantages with toughness, intelligence, and vision. These traits flashed in the spring, making some wonder if he might have a much bigger role in Ben Johnson’s offense than anyone believed possible. The Bears’ head coach all but confirmed this reality during his press conference after Family Fest at Soldier Field.
Kyle Monangai is hardly something new in the NFL.
Howie Long once described a teammate as somebody with physical talent rating around a 5 out of 10. However, what that teammate got out of his talent was around a 9.5. It isn’t always about how much natural ability a player has. It is how much they can get out of it. Kyle Monangai is a perfect example. Nothing about him stands out as special. Many running backs are bigger, faster, or both in the NFL. Yet he still finds ways to stand out because he has the work ethic and drive—plenty of players never put in the time to truly maximize their potential. Monangai has already perfected this art, and it’s paying off with more and more action in the starting offense. Johnson has one of the best run schemes in the league. Don’t be surprised if the rookie is an instant hit this fall as the Bears roll out their new committee.
