Kyle Monangai

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Monangai doesn’t jump off the page as a prospect, but Roschon Johnson hasn’t proven much in the NFL, and the new Ben Johnson-led coaching staff has no loyalty to him. What they do have is a rookie they handpicked—Monangai, drafted in the seventh round—who’s already drawn praise in spring practices and early OTAs.

More telling than the compliments is what the Bears didn’t do: they ignored the running back position in the rest of the draft and passed on available veterans in free agency. That kind of quiet confidence should grab our attention.

We have to be open to the possibility that Monangai is just one D’Andre Swift injury away from leading Chicago’s backfield.

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Within 24 hours of another, Nick Chubb and J.K. Dobbins signed with teams other than the Chicago Bears. This was not how Bears fans and media hoped things would turn out.  

Perhaps they'll wait for a cut of a meaningful talent like Jerome Ford or Khalil Herbert, or they are comfortable rolling with the combination of Roschon Johnson and Monangai as the complements to D'Andre Swift.  

Monangai, at worst is a smaller but determined runner with vision and quickness along the lines of Peyton Barber. At best, he eventually could inspire (the good on-field) memories of Ray Rice but that may require additional muscle and explosion he may not generate as a rookie. 

Monangai is a smart back. If he wins the RB2 job outright, this is where I think he'll land in my rankings. If he earns a split or loses to Johnson, we'll adjust accordingly.