All eyes are on Caleb Williams throughout Chicago Bears training camp. But as the quarterback looks out into a sea of Bears teammates, one rookie has already caught Williams’ eye.
While Chicago was expected to land a big name running back all offseason, their only major addition was seventh-rounder Kyle Monangai. Usually, players taken that late don’t make an impact during their rookie seasons. However, Monangai is turning out to be a different kind of seventh-rounder.
He still has a mountain to climb to earn rookie reps as the running back is no higher than third on the depth chart. But Williams is now echoing head coach Ben Johnson’s sentiment in that he thinks Monangai will have a breakout 2025 campaign, via Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune.
“Still learning, still a young guy,” Williams said. “We’ve all been there. But he’s been awesome. Very, very smart guy. Hard runner. He’s going to put his nose down and get the yardage we need.”
Kyle Monangai looking to make immediate Chicago Bears impact
Monangai fell to the seventh-round for numerous reasons. He stands just 5-foot-8 and ran a poor 4.6 40-yard dash at the NFL combine. Unless Monangai has a massive growth spurt and/or gets rockets transplanted into his legs, those factors won’t change much. However, the running back found a high level of successful during his time at Rutgers despite any physical red flags.
Over 52 total games, Monangai ran for 3,222 yards and 27 touchdowns. He led the Big Ten with 1,262 rushing yards in 2023 before setting new career-highs with 1,279 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns in 2024. Monangai was named First-team All-Big Ten.
As it stands, both D’Andre Swift and Roschon Johnson are ahead of Monangai on the depth. However, the rookie has been given a solid opportunity in training camp, especially with Johnson missing time with a foot injury. If he can develop his work as a pass blocker and catcher, as well as his ground game, there’s a path for Monangai to get touches as a rookie.
The preseason will be crucial for everyone on the Bears. But for the running back, it’ll be his best opportunity to prove he belongs. If Monangai shines against live competition, it’d go a long way towards Johnson giving him more responsibilities in the offense.
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