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ESPN's RB ranking is more proof the D'Andre Swift signing failed to live up to expectations and it puts even more pressure on Ben Johnson

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Kole Noble | Last updated Jul 7, 2025 3:30 PM ET

A lot went wrong for the Chicago Bears in 2024 and there was a lot of "What Ifs" for the entire organization and the process that went into building the team going into the season.

Ultimately, you can't change the past and the Bears have to live and learn from the choices that were made, or weren't made.

For the most part, the Bears have been able to salvage themselves. By retaining head coach Matt Eberflus in 2024, the Bears still landed Ben Johnson. By not fully investing in the offensive line, the Bears still landed three Pro Bowl caliber veterans up-front.

The biggest move the Bears made prior to the 2024 season from a roster building standpoint (outside of the draft) was spending considerable money to reel in running back D'Andre Swift on the open market.

That move was actually one of the first signings announced as soon as the legal tampering period opened. Chicago was all over this guy, and it didn't work out the way the front office hoped after his first season with the Bears.

After today, the way the Bears struck out swinging on the search for a top back to add to the offense looks even worse based on ESPN's latest rankings.

Top 10 series is here. League intel from 70+ execs/coaches/scouts

First off…Running backs

*Saquon dominates voting
*Gibbs edges Bijan
*McCaffrey, Hall sliphttps://t.co/w8vz2e29w3
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) July 7, 2025

Execs, coaches, scouts ranked the NFL's top 10 running backs for the 2025 season on Monday and the final ranking had some interesting names. Of the 10 backs listed, four were playing for a new team last season: Saquon Barkley, Derrick Henry, Josh Jacobs, and Joe Mixon.

To play devil's advocate, all four players chose to join a highly successful offense for a reason, and who knows how they would have performed if they landed in Chicago.

The root of the story is, seeing this ranking puts even more pressure on head coach Ben Johnson to turn Swift into what the team expected to see out of him when they went out to pursue him over other options avaliable.

Can Ben Johnson turn D'Andre Swift into a Top-10 RB?

Going back to that list, Johnson's offense with the Detroit Lions nearly produced two Top-10 backs. Jahmyr Gibbs came in at #3 on the list and his running-mate in David Montgomery received some votes as well.

Swift's skillset as a dual-threat weapon and legit homerun hitter gives him the ability to be mentioned among these players. Which is why he also received some votes. The problem is producing at a consistent and efficient level.

Playing with Johnson as his play-caller in 2022, Swift had his most efficient season of his career while seeing the fewest touches of his career. If the Bears are to get the most out of this investment and Johnson wants to get the most out of this offense, he'll need to figure out how to get Swift to stay on the tracks.

If he can't, Swift's days in Chicago will start to be numbered after the 2025 season.