When Ben Johnson last coached running back D'Andre Swift, the Detroit Lions were hesitant to rely on his him as a workhorse back and he proved them correct by being consistently banged up. So when Johnson became the Chicago Bears head coach, it felt unlikely he'd have Swift as his clear-cut No. 1 back and some level of trade rumors naturally surfaced.
It was a lead-pipe lock the Bears would draft a running back in April. Swift and Roschon Johnson were not going to be unchallenged as the top two on the depth chart, and otherwise roster spots are hardly guaranteed. The board didn't fall in such a way that they took one before the seventh round, when they added Kyle Monangai.
Monangai topped 1,200 rushing yards while averaging at least 5.0 yards per carry in each of his last two seasons at Rutgers, so getting him on Day 3 of the draft looks like a potential steal for the Bears. He didn't get much work in the passing game, but that can be seen as an untapped aspect of his game until further notice and he showed plenty of pass protection chops in college. He is not an overwhelming physical specimen (5-foot-8, 211 pounds, 4.6-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine), but that doesn't have to be an impediment to his success in the NFL.
The Bears had their mandatory minicamp this week before a final set of voluntary OTAs next week. Most veteran players won't be around next week, which Johnson acknowledged with a "message" to those players, as there will be emphasis on younger players getting some final work in before training camp.
Ben Johnson starts path to Kyle Monangai climbing the Bears' depth chart
As he wrapped up minicamp on Thursday, after apparently asking for some time to consider who would fit that bill, Johnson was asked if anyone stood out to him over the three days. He mentioned four players, and Monangai was one of two on the offensive side of the ball.
"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."
Adam Jahns of The Athletic noted Monangai's touchdown reception from Caleb Williams during Wednesday's practice, and Clay Harbor had a similar review of the rookie's work from that day's session.
Swift is unsurprisingly saying all the right things about being motivated after a disappointing first season as a Bear, and he may not feel overly threatened by a seventh-round rookie right now.
But sometimes, we have to read between the lines. Johnson was clearly hesitant to single out anyone as a standout from minicamp, probably in some deference to there being no pads on, then he chose Monangai when he was pushed a little bit to do so. If anything, the pads coming on at training camp will showcase Monangai even more.
Roschon Johnson's role as the Bears' No. 2 back is definitely in peril as we look toward training camp, with Monangai as his No. 1 competition if a veteran isn't added. Swift again proved he's ill-suited to a high-volume role last season, so someone should be in line for notable work behind him.
From a certain angle, though Swift will not be easily unseated as the No. 1 back, there's not much standing in Monangai's way to climb the Bears' running back depth chart as a rookie. The next step is to carry his minicamp momentum into training camp and preseason games, and ideally earn more praise from his head coach along the way.