Chicago Bears – Favorite Running Back Targets

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The Bears cut backup RB Michael Bush in the off-season leaving untested Michael Ford as Matt Forte’s primary back-up. They did sign free agent RB Shaun Draughn in the off-season but I doubt the Bears will go into the season with just the underwhelming Ford / Draughn combo behind Forte. This year’s draft class doesn’t have any stars at RB, but it is a deep class with plenty of talented runners projected to be available on day 3.

I have listed the players below that I like best for the Bears in every round at each position of need.

DT | FS | SS | MLB | OLB | CB | WR | RB | QB

RB Depth Chart:

Matt Forte, Michael Ford, Shaun Draughn

Round 1 (#14) – None.

Round 2 (#51) – Jeremy Hill, LSU (6’1, 233):  Hill was used in a platoon in his two years at LSU, so he has very little mileage on his legs. He was dominant in his limited carries averaging an impressive 6.9 ypc. Hill also scored 28 TDs in two seasons and excels in short yardage situations which have been a problem for the Bears. Hill seemed to get better as last season wore on and he might just be scratching the surface of his potential. If the Bears are going to use an early pick on a RB this year, I hope it’s Hill.

Round 3 (#81) – Charles Sims, West Virginia (6’0, 214): Viewed as a 3rd down back coming into the Senior Bowl, Sims changed some minds with power running, smooth hands out of the backfield, and good enough pass protection. Sims drew comparisons to Matt Forte, Shane Vereen, and DeMarco Murray from various analysts. High praise. Sims looks like a poor man’s Forte to me and would be able to spell Forte for a series without the Bears having to limit their offensive scheme.