Chicago Bears rookie already making big impression on Ben Johnson

For rookies in the NFL, getting off to a hot start is really important. It helps set the narrative for their first season as a pro. For Chicago Bears running back Kyle Monangai, his performance at the team's mandatory minicamp this week has his outlook in 2025 on a rocket ship.

Monangai was one of four players whom coach Ben Johnson mentioned on Thursday as standing out this offseason.

"In the running back room, Kyle Monangai has really stepped up," Johnson said from Halas Hall. "I appreciate the attention to detail and the pride he takes and how quickly he's picking things up."

Nothing is guaranteed for seventh-round picks, which is the round the Bears called Monangai's name in the 2025 NFL Draft. But the former Rutgers star is in a unique position. He was drafted by a team that has an unsettled depth chart at running back, giving him the kind of chance later-rounders can only dream of.

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Indeed, D'Andre Swift will begin the 2025 NFL season as the Bears' RB1, and Roschon Johnson is the favorite to be Swift's primary backup. But Monangai brings a set of traits that's unique from Swift and Johnson. In fact, he combines the strengths of both players in one, compact, 5-foot-8, 211-pound frame.

Monangai's combination of quick feet, initial burst, and contact balance lends itself well to Johnson's system, as he can be relied on as a runner who picks up consistent chunk gains on running downs and is reliable in pass protection on passing plays.

Whether Kyle Monangai can do enough in training camp and the 2025 preseason to challenge for first-team reps in September remains to be seen. But I wouldn't be against him making a steady climb up the depth chart and eventually being a big factor on offense by the time Thanksgiving rolls around.