One of the biggest regrets the Chicago Bears may have from the 2025 NFL Draft is that they did not address the running back need until their very last selection of the weekend.
There is plenty to like about Kyle Monangai, but as a seventh-round pick, it would seem like a curious move, if nothing else, for the Bears to enter the season with the expectation of Monangai being a sustainable contributor on offense.
Even if the Bears add a veteran back as Nick Chubb, or J.K. Dobbins, it seems likely that the Bears will enter next offseason with a need at running back.
It's a need that ESPN's Jordan Reid has the Bears addressing in the first round of his 2026 NFL Mock Draft. With the No. 17 selection in the 2026 NFL Draft, the Bears select Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love.
Love was the first running back taken in the mock draft. After his 2024 season with the Fighting Irish, the case can be easily made that he is one of the best running backs in the nation ahead of the 2025 collegiate season.
Bears find their Jahmyr Gibbs in ESPN's 2026 NFL Mock Draft.
Love rushed for 1,125 yards for Notre Dame last season while adding 17 touchdowns on the ground. Love was no stranger to the passing game either, adding 237 receiving yards on 28 receptions. What probably would have Ben Johnson drooling was the fact that Love averaged 6.9 yards per carry last season.
Assuming the Bears do take out in Swift's contract after the 2025 season, it makes sense that the team would target a running back like Love. Given his speed and ability to make plays after contact, Love could be the Bears' version of Jahmyr Gibbs. For all the talk that the Bears need their version of David Montgomery, they may already have that on the roster in Roschon Johnson. With an improved offensive line, Johnson could thrive as the running back on plays between the tackles.
If the Bears draft in the middle of the first round, as they were in ESPN's mock draft, adding a running back would make complete sense. However, their need for a pass rusher may outweigh their need for a running back, depending on the developments of the 2025 season.