The Chicago Bears have completed their first week of preseason under new head coach Ben Johnson, as he got to show off one of his new rookies on the offense right from the jump.
Rookie seventh-round pick running back Kyle Monangai got the start for the Bears in the backfield after D'Andre Swift and Roschon Johnson sat out for the game. His first time in action proved to be a decent showing from the former Rutgers running back as the Bears finished with a 24-24 tie to the Miami Dolphins.
Monangai finished with six carries for 30 yards and was the Bears' leading rusher in the game. He averaged five yards per carry, and his longest run was for 13 yards.
How to assess Monangai's overall performance against Miami
The good thing Monangai showed is that he's going to be tough to tackle on first contact. He was able to show that he can run through guys and be a good bruising back in short-yard situations.
His vision of where to hit the hole was solid. There were a couple of time he was able to bounce from one side of the line to the other to make the cut needed to run through the opening.
Bears fans did not get to see him in the passing game, as his hands were not utilized in that capacity, given his primary role in blocking situations. During the regular season, that third-down back will more than likely be either Swift or Roschon Johnson.
Ben Johnson might be using Monangai more for short-yard situations during the regular season as the third back. He might not get as many touches in the regular season, so it's good to see what Monangai can bring to the table with these preseason matchups.
Read more: One preseason game is all Bears' undrafted rookie needed to make 53-man roster
Deion Hankins and Ian Wheeler will not make it easy for Monangai to make the 53-man roster, as each back had good performances against Miami as well. It still feels as though Monangai will make the final roster and have a reduced role in the offense as he learns the NFL game.