Chicago Bears rookie emerging as major draft steal during minicamp

Monangai capped off his impressive performance by receiving a touchdown from Caleb Williams to end a long scoring drive, via Zack Pearson of Bear Report.

Kyle Monangai looking to make an impact 

Monangai didn’t contribute much in the passing game over his five year career at Rutgers, making 38 total grabs for 252 yards and a touchdown. Adding that skill to his game only gives the running back a stronger chance of seeing the field.

But what Monangai did do at Rutgers is set records. He led the Big Ten in rushing in 2023 with 1,262 yards and eight touchdowns. Monangai then followed that up by setting new career-highs in yards (1,279) and touchdowns (13) as a senior. The running back was named First-team All-Big Ten in 2024.

The reasons Monangai fell in the draft are due to his lack of height and speed. He stands just 5-foot-8 and ran a 4.6 40-yard dash at the NFL scouting combine. However, the running back was an elusive playmaker at Rutgers, averaging 4.8 yards per carry. He averaged over five his final two seasons. Furthermore, while he may have gone in the seventh-round, Johnson didn’t just pick Monangai’s name out of a hat.

The rookie will need to continue proving he is a strong fit in Johnson’s offense. But Wednesday’s minicamp practice at least showed Monangai could potentially take on a larger role than most seventh rounders.

Chicago Bears run game 

Chicago finished the 2024 season ranked 25th in rushing, averaging 102 yards per game. In turn, Johnson helped lead the Detroit Lions to a sixth-place finish in his final season as offensive coordinator, averaging 146.4 YPG. While that would be a massive leap for the Bears, it’s at least an indication of how important the run game is to Johnson’s offense.

D’Andre Swift is poised to lead the backfield again after earning a career-high 253 carries in his Bears debut. He ran for 953 yards and six touchdowns, which doesn’t look awful on the surface. However, Swift averaged just 3.8 yards per carry. He’ll need to be much more efficient to remain RB1 in Johnson’s offense.

Behind him is Roschon Johnson, who tied the team lead with six touchdowns in 2024. However, he received just 55 carries and gained 150 total yards. Johnson has rushed 136 times for 507 yards and eight touchdowns over his two-year career. The 2025 campaign will be make-or-break in terms of the running back’s Chicago future. He at least has the belief of general manager Ryan Poles on his side.

Still, it’s easy to see how Monangai can carve a role into the offense. The rookie running back’s play will under a microscope for the remainder of the offseason program.