The Chicago Bears didn’t invest a selection in the top-100 picks of the 2025 NFL Draft in a running back. But, the player general manager Ryan Poles ultimately chose at the position may wind up letting him off the hook in terms of investing in one of the veterans still available in free agency.
When the Bears finally chose a running back, former Rutgers standout Kyle Monangai, at least one NFL analyst believes not only did Chicago find significant value but just might have mined an instant impact contributor in the mold of another prodigee from the State School of New Jersey.
“Remember when the Chiefs struck seventh-round gold on a Rutgers back who ran hard as hell?” NFL Media’s Gennaro Filice writes. “I’m not going to say Monangai’s Isiah Pacheco, but I won’t immediately scoff if you’d like to.”
Reaching Pacheco’s level of production would be a lofty ceiling for Monangai, and signal the former Scarlet Knight developing into one of the Bears’ cornerstone players on what is quickly becoming an offense loaded with high-upside talent.
After all, Pacheco has rushed for 2,075 yards and 13 touchdowns, while playing a vital role in the Chiefs’ Super Bowl victories in 2022 and 2023. The Bears would certainly sign up with that kind of production from Monangai.
Kyle Monangai scouting report for Chicago Bears rookie running back
Monangai arrives in Chicago where he’ll push for snaps with D’Andre Swift, and it remains to be seen whether Poles and the Bears will look to add a veteran back such as J.K. Dobbins before training camp begins this summer.
Last season in New Brunswick, the 5-foot-9 and 209-pound Monangai notched his second consecutive season with more than 1,200 rushing yards, posting a career-high 1,279 yards with 13 touchdowns while averaging five yards per carry.
However, Monangai slipped a bit going into the NFL Draft after posting a 4.6-second 40-yard dash during the NFL Combine in Indinapolis, which could ultimately wind up being the Bears’ gain.
“Short but stout two-time team captain who is bundled tightly into a compact,” NFL Media’s Lance Zierlein writes of Monangai. “Muscular frame. Monangai is quicker than fast and lacks breakaway speed but can change the track of the run at a moment’s notice with unpredictable cuts at sharp angles.
“His vision is average and his lack of run-lane discipline will irk offensive line coaches, but he creates yardage out of nowhere and has exceptional contact balance to repel would-be tacklers. He lacks ideal third-down value, so teams will need to be comfortable with tabbing Monangai as an early-down backup who can handle a heavier carry load if needed.”
As Pro Football Focus points out, only 18 running backs forced more than Monangai’s 66 missed tackles across the nation last season while he posed 862 yards after contact with 18 explosive runs of 15 yards or more. That kind of explosiveness can help mask some of the growing pains that could arise along an offensive line that could be fielding as many as four new starters this fall.
If Monangai can shake off his subpar 40-yard dash and reach the potential that his output at Rutgers suggests he’s capable of, the Bears may have mined a diamond in the rough late in the draft.
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