A case of right position and wrong Bears pick in ESPN mock draft

Instead, they'd be selecting a bit later and there could be a better option then at running back in Penn State senior Nicholas Singleton.

Love made the most famous 2-yard touchdown run of last year in college football by powering through Penn State tackle attempts, but the Bears can get another back with the ability both to run through pro tacklers, make them miss and break away better than Love.

Singleton is a back 20 pounds heavier at 226, a bit heavier even than David Montgomery was for the Bears, but much fastr. In the offseason, he was said to have run a 40 time in the 4.3s. That's a bit faster than Love is projected to run, as well.

This is a true NFL back. PFF grades him currently as a first-rounder, setting up a situation not totally  unlike this past draft when both Ashton Jeanty and Omarion Hampton went in Round 1.

"Singleton surprisingly decided to return to Happy Valley for his senior season despite being a projected Day 2 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft," PFF's Dalton Wasserman and Max Chadwick wrote. "His 1,106 rushing yards in 2024 trailed only Notre Dame‘s Jeremiyah Love and Louisville‘s Isaac Brown among returning Power Four running backs, and his 6.4 yards per carry ranked eighth in the Power Four."

Facts are facts, though.

When Penn State and Notre Dame squared off in the playoffs, Singleton outperformed Love.

Singleton had 84 yards rushing on 15 carries and three touchdowns to Love's 46 yards on 11 carries and a TD. Singleton also caught two  passes for 33 yards while Love had a 6-yard reception.

Love had the benefit of playing in a backfield where quarterback Riley Leonard was viewed as a fullback type of running threat who could occupy the defense's attention. Singleton had to get his rushing yards the hard way, with the defense's full attention on him, as QB Drew Allar averaged only 3.1 yards per attempt. Leonard was nearly a 1,000-yard rusher for the Irish.

"Singleton complements his rushing skillset with dynamic receiving ability," PFF wrote. "He tallied 682 receiving yards over the past two seasons—the fifth most among FBS running backs and the most among returning Power Four rushers."

An all-purpose type back who is explosive and powerful and has excellent vision is exactly what the Bears would need as Johnson emphasizes using backs as receivers. Montgomery had 36 catches with three games missed due to injury and Gibbs 52 for a full season last year with Johnson in Detroit.

Any mock draft should focus on Singleton for the Bears, even if they might actually need an edge rusher or safety in the draft more next year than a running back.

A lot can happen in this regard over the course of a season and running back might not even be regarded as a pressing need for Chicago by 2026 if Kyle Monangai or Roschon Johnson step forward.