BEARS FIND HIDDEN GEM: Kyle Monangai Could Shake Up Chicago’s Backfield!

The phrase better late than never certainly applied to the Chicago Bears and their approach to running back in the 2025 NFL Draft. General manager Ryan Poles waited until the seventh round to add competition for incumbent starter D'Andre Swift via Rutgers standout Kyle Monangai.

Monangai finished the 2024 season with 256 carries for 1,279 yards and 13 touchdowns, marking the second straight season that he ran for more than 1,200 yards and averaged better than five yards per carry.

While not one of the headline-grabbing running back prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft, Monangai has appealing pro traits, including quick feet, change-of-direction ability, and contact balance. Not a straight-line burner, Monangai is more of a short-area-burst back who will pick up yards in chunks because of his footwork and natural feel in space.

Monangai runs angry, something the Bears' running game was missing with Swift as the lead back. And while it's unlikely Swift will immediately be replaced by a seventh-round pick, there's no doubt the former Scarlet Knight can be a surprising contributor by the time September rolls around.

His running style reminds me a lot of Kareem Hunt, the veteran Kansas City Chiefs running back who's enjoyed a lot of success as a pro.

At this point, where a player was drafted -- the seventh rounds -- means nothing. Instead, it's only whether that player has a chance to take advantage of an opportunity that could lead to a big role early in his career. Monangai has that chance in Chicago, and I have no doubt he'll take full advantage of it.

As for a grade? This is a solid B+ pick by the Chicago Bears. No, Kyle Monangai isn't Ashton Jeanty, or Omarion Hampton, or TreVeyon Henderson. But none of that matters now. What he is is a talented running back on a depth chart with room to steal carries. He'll be a very real factor in the Bears' running game by the end of the summer.