Chicago Bears Select RB Jeremy Langford in Round 4
Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports
With the 106th overall pick in the fourth round the Chicago Bears selected RB Jeremy Langford from Michigan St. He was a bell-cow running back for the Spartans with over 100 yards rushing in 10 consecutive games to end the season which broke a school record. Langford opened eyes at the combine with a 4.42 forty time, which was about a tenth of a second faster than most expected. He doesn’t have great size (6’0, 206) but runs with good pad level and generates more power than expected. He can run between the tackles and has enough speed to bounce runs outside.
Langford is a complete back who does everything pretty well, while not having one trait that stands out. He can catch the ball out of the backfield and is a decent blocker in pass pro, so Langford should be able to contribute right away.
The Langford pick coupled with the signing of free agent RB Jacquizz Rodgers may not bode well for last year’s 4th round pick RB Ka’Deem Carey. The Bears have a new management team in place, so Carey and the rest of last year’s day 3 picks may have to earn a place on the roster with strong special teams play.
Langford will compete with Carey for the backup role behind Matt Forte and could also help out in short yardage situations. He doesn’t have the size of a traditional short-yardage back, but his burst through the line and low pad level could make Langford an ideal candidate for the 3rd & short situations that the Bears have struggled with the last few seasons.
Here is the “bottom line” from NFL.com’s profile of Langford:
"Langford showed improvement from 2013 to 2014, but he doesn’t accelerate through contact like you want to see. He has some speed and creativity, but without an ability to maximize his yards with each carry, teams could peg him as a “committee back” with an ability to play on third downs."