The Bears will talk about the undrafted free agent opportunity now for them at running back and maybe even edge rusher.
I'm not buying it and you shouldn't either.
There is no way they went through the entire first six rounds and came up with Rutgers' Kyle Monangai, the back who has never fumbled in 676 carries, and are satisfied with this running back room.
At least at edge rusher, there is the possibility they move one of their defensive tackles outside in pass rushing situations, like possibly Gervon Dexter. Rookie Shemar Turner might be the one moving, as he actually was an edge who moved inside during his final Texas A&M season. By the way, this is Shemar Turner, not Shemar Stewart—the Texas A&M teammate and defensive end who doesn't make sacks but talks about it a lot. And by the way how many Shemars were there in this draft class and at Texas A&M anyway?
At running back, though, it's D'Andre Swift, Roschon Johnson, Travis Homer, Ian Wheeler and Monangai for the Bears.
Sorry, that's not a Ben Johnson running backs room.
They need someone who can break a tackle and unless Homer has really been hiding some great skill set for two years, or the undrafted Wheeler just didn't have a chance to show superpowers last year before tearing his ACL, it's not here in this group.
The #Bears finally take their running back: Rutgers RB Kyle Monangai in Round 7.
Love the value of this pick so late. Low center of gravity, intelligent and patient runner. I had him in Round 5 — love him as a complementary back. pic.twitter.com/X7oIMRRhFc— Jacob Infante (@jacobinfante24) April 26, 2025
Swift had seven broken tackles last year and only once in his career has had double digits at this. He did that in Philadelphia with 21 and then they let him leave in free agency without hesitation.
In Detroit, Johnson had David Montgomery, Jahmyr Gibbs and Jamaal Williams. Gibbs and Montgomery have been near the 20 broken tackles level each of the last two years. Williams didn't get above 13 in either of his Lions seasons and they let him leave in free agency.
I like plenty of what the Bears have done in this draft, but day 3 has been a little puzzling to me.
— Bill Zimmerman (@BillTZimmerman) April 26, 2025
Bottom line, RB is a position of need and this was one of the best running back classes we've seen in two decades and the Bears just not picking one is... an odd choice.
Roschon Johnson has barely been allowed to show his skill set with the Bears but you'd think he'd have more than three broken tackles on running plays in two seasons. That's his total.
Ryan Poles had his draft board the last three days and wasn't budging from it even as backs disappeared with each new round, first the Ohio State duo, then Cam Skattebo and Bhayshul Tuten and finally Damien Martinez and Brashard Smith.
Not one little reach here or there to find a back and once they got past Round 3, with all the flipping around Poles did with his trades back whenever he could find a Buffalo Bills pick he wanted, then you'd think they could have reached just once only a few spots to bring in a ball carrier.
Bears draft RB Kyle Monangai from Rutgers. He’s a short, quicker than fast runner who is both strong and powerful. Good after contact balance
— Greg Gabriel (@ggabefootball) April 26, 2025
The great Ben Johnson plan is either to give Roschon Johnson and Swift the ball and hope the coach's new scheming and offensive line make all the difference in improving the rushing opportunities.
Or else there is Monangai. How often does a seventh-round Ryan Poles draft pick ever pan out?
Elijah Hicks is still around contributing as a backup safety.
Travis Bell, Kendall Williamson, Trenton Gill and Ja'Tyre Carter left Halas Hall without busts or jerseys enshrined in the last three years.
It hasn't really worked regardless of general manager. Charles Leno Jr. was the last seventh-rounder who actually succeeded for the Bears, more than a decade ago.
Those would be good options
— Commander of Will Venable’s Army Guest Podcast Guy (@Bda_co) April 26, 2025
That's why it wouldn't be a shock if they went out and signed Williams at the age of 30, who didn't show much after leaving Detroit and is still a Saints free agent
More likely, they could bring in Nick Chubb for a look, or maybe J.K. Dobbins, or someone free at the moment. Both Chubb and Dobbins have been beset by injuries, and haven't been what they once were.
Who will Nick Chubb play for in the fall? #DawgPound
"Maybe they know something that we don't know..."
-@HanfordDixon29
Presented by @NEFDirect https://t.co/eLIHIUQcCx pic.twitter.com/a0p0QPluGp— The Hanford Dixon Show (@TopDawgShow) April 23, 2025
Surely Ben Johnson had to be biting his tongue when he assessed how the draft went at running back, as they "stuck to their board."
"Sometimes that gets hard," Johnson said. "Sometimes you want to pick for need, but we didn't necessarily do that.
Take me to the timeline where J.K. Dobbins never got injured and had a Hall of Fame career in Baltimore pic.twitter.com/7fgVnrJDca
— RAMEY (@HoodieRamey) March 23, 2025
"I feel really good about the direction we went and every decision we made along the way.”
Either there are magical secrets in this Bears running back room not yet revealed to us, or Johnson truly is a miracle worker with his offense.
Or else he's just very good at biting his tongue for three days.
the year before Ben Johnson called plays in Detroit:
D'Andre Swift had 12 carries per game
Ben Johnson took over...
D'Andre Swift was reduced to 7 carries per game
Johnson instead rode with Jamaal Williams (15.4/gm)...
and that offseason, the team traded away Swift
odds Ben… pic.twitter.com/NNP4y5DAPr— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) April 9, 2025
