Chicago Bears Draft: 5 Running back targets Ryan Poles must consider
By Evan Bruner
Chicago Bears RB Option No.3: Eric Gray
One underrated aspect of David Montgomery’s game was his ability as a pass catcher. This is why targeting a player with receiving upside, such as Eric Gray, would be beneficial to the team.
As a rusher, Gray possesses many of the fundamentals but lacks the athleticism and physical profile to have the upside of others in this class.
Still, he was very productive in 2022, finishing the season with 1,374 yards and 6.5 yards per carry, being one of the Sooners' most consistent players.
While Oklahoma’s passing attack didn’t target the running back position too much, we have a large enough sample to size to see that Gray is a plus in the passing game. He finished 2022 with 34 catches and zero drops.
He isn’t quite a Christian McCaffrey-esque route runner, but Gray has both the feel and hands to be a safety valve and make some plays in the passing game.
It remains to be seen whether Gray has the juice as a rusher to be an every-down back at the next level, but to start, he could be more of a third-down back, which would fill a major need for the Bears.