It's rare that you see a seventh-round pick garner so much buzz after the NFL Draft, but that's exactly what's been happening with Chicago Bears rookie Kyle Monangai.
The former Rutgers running back comes into the league as a player some teams might now be wondering how on earth they missed him.
Is it any wonder, now, why some Bears fans are seemingly campaigning for Monangai to overtake D'Andre Swift on the depth chart? Who is to say all of the Monangai hype isn't going to lead to something big for the rookie?
After all, Ben Johnson did say, recently, that there is "no depth chart" right now.
Yet another NFL expert adds fuel to the Kyle Monangai fire
NFL Media's Gennaro Filice put out his league-wide draft assessment with favorite picks, sleepers and grades for each team. When it came to his section on the Bears, it was not shocking to see him talk about Monangai as his sleeper pick.
"Remember when the Chiefs struck seventh-round gold on a Rutgers back who ran hard as hell? I’m not going to say Monangai's Isiah Pacheco, but I won’t immediately scoff if you’d like to," he wrote.
It isn't surprising to hear another expert compare Monangai to Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco, because that's probably the best pro comparison for the newest Bears ball carrier. It's one enormous coincidence that both went to Rutgers and were drafted in the seventh round.
Now, Pacheco is a two-time Super Bowl champion and the starting running back behind Patrick Mahomes.
Meanwhile, Swift is who he is. Fans know he can be a problem in the open field, but he's limited to being a running back that needs blocking in front of him. Swift is not someone who will create yardage for himself.
Breaking tackles isn't exactly Swift's top attribute. He's a finesse back, which is fine under some circumstances. But, Chicago needs a smash-mouth runner who isn't afraid to push for those extra yards. Look no further than David Montgomery and the Ben Johnson connection, there, too.
Swift can still be a part of this offense, of course. But, Monangai will likely end up taking a huge chunk of work from him if all of this hype comes to fruition. Could the Bears have their lite version of Sonic and Knuckles? It's possible.
Now, don't go putting words in my mouth. I've been a big Swift critic and a huge fan of Jahmry Gibbs. They are not even in the same stratosphere. But, Johnson could make this work especially with how many weapons he's put around them in the passing game.
Less pressure on the running backs and an improved offensive line will help open things up for the ground game. Monangai could feast while Swift gets some easier opportunities.
Could the Bears have a balanced, efficient offense? What a world that would be.