As April's draft approached, the Chicago Bears were easily in the market for a running back. Head coach Ben Johnson's history with No. 1 back D'Andre Swift, when the Detroit Lions could not rely on him to be a workhorse, made the addition of a young running back a practical guarantee.
Ultimately, the draft board did not fall the Bears way to use an early pick on a running back, and potential trades up to get anyone they particularly coveted did not come to fruition. So they ended up adding to their running back depth chart in the seventh round, at No. 233 overall, with Kyle Monangai out of Rutgers.
In a shallower running back draft class than this year's, Monangai might have been a Day 2 pick. Beyond that, he was widely expected to be drafted before the seventh round. Whispers of a potential draft steal were easy after the Bears took him.
Coming out of mandatory minicamp, as he was generally hesitant to anoint much of anyone as a standout, Johnson praised Monangai.
"In the running back room, Kyle Monangai has really stepped up", Johnson said. "I appreciate the attention to detail and the pride he takes and how quickly he's picking things up."
Kyle Monangai's path to immediate playing time continues to be paved
Monangai made Ben Cooper of Pro Football Focus' list of rookie running backs to stash in dynasty fantasy football leagues, but the analysis extends beyond the fantasy context.
"Much was made of the Bears’ need for running back help this offseason, and they responded meekly by re-signing Travis Homer and drafting Monangai in the seventh round. Neither move was particularly world-changing on paper for Chicago’s backfield, which D’Andre Swift leads for now. But don’t let Monangai’s draft slot fool you into dynasty passivity."
"Monangai has similar potential to Kansas City Chiefs RB1 Isiah Pacheco, also a seventh-round pick out of Rutgers, to take over his team’s backfield in short order. Swift is coming off a PPR RB19 season in which he was the only NFL running back to see more than 230 carries and not top 1,000 rushing yards. He averaged more than 5.0 yards per carry in only four outings and went the final seven games of the 2024 season without a 15-point fantasy performance."
"Meanwhile, Monangai’s 139 forced missed tackles over the past two seasons were the eighth most among FBS running backs, and he didn’t fumble once across four seasons of action with the Scarlet Knights."
"Roschon Johnson may get the first crack at surpassing Swift for the Bears’ lead role, but Monangai shouldn't be buried to the point where he doesn’t get some touches to prove his value as a rookie and beyond."
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Swift clearly functions better in a lower-volume role, and Ben Johnson should feel no obligation to force-feed him in order to justify his contract. Roschon Johnson has some talent, but he's absolutely vulnerable to training camp competition from Monangai.
It may take some time to come to fruition, like it did for fellow Rutgers' alum Pacheco in 2022, but a strong camp will further bolster Monangai's case for a big share of work in the Bears' backfield. In fantasy or reality, it's a mistake to overlook his potential impact as a rookie.