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NFL insider says RB Kyle Monangai will have 'great chance' to impress Chicago Bears

Despite being a seventh-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, running back Kyle Monangai will have a great chance to impress coaches during the sprint to training camp.

Bryan Perez

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
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It doesn't happen often that a seventh-round pick in the NFL Draft gets a legitimate chance to make his mark during his rookie season, but that's what's facing Chicago Bears running back Kyle Monangai, the former Rutgers star who was Chicago's final pick in 2025.

Monangai joins a Bears roster with legitimate questions at running back. Incumbent starter D'Andre Swift, while talented, failed to make much of a splash in his debut season with the Bears last year. Meanwhile, 2023 fourth-round pick Roschon Johnson was an afterthought under Shane Waldron and the disaster that was Chicago's 2024 coaching staff.

While Swift and Johnson are the presumptive RB1 and RB2 as training camp inches closer, Monangai will have a fantastic opportunity to prove he belongs in that conversation -- yes, even the RB1 talk.

Kyle Monangai will benefit from Chicago Bears' failed 2025 NFL Draft plan

The Chicago Bears' interest in an early-round running back was a primary talking point during the run-up to the 2025 NFL Draft, but the second round didn't unfold according to plan.

ESPN NFL insider Jeremy Fowler revealed that the Bears were trying to trade up in Round 2 for Ohio State's TreVeyon Henderson, but when trade talks fell through, the decision to wait on a

"Some inside the league believe the Bears tried to make an early Day 2 move, possibly to move up four spots to Tennessee's selection at No. 35," Fowler wrote. "Knowing Chicago's legwork on running backs, Ohio State's TreVeyon Henderson would have made a lot of sense in that regard. While Chicago has been linked to free agent running backs, typically teams like to first see what their rookies can do in May and June, with live on-field reps -- a great chance for seventh-round back Kyle Monangai, who has an intriguing skill set."

Monangai ran for 1,279 yards and 13 touchdowns (5.0 yards per carry) in 2024, marking the second straight season that he surpassed 1,200 rushing yards. He finished his college career with 669 carries for 3,222 yards and 27 scores. He blends appealing vision, footwork and power through contact to give the Bears the kind of inside-outside runner that was lacking on offense in 2024.

As Fowler noted, Monangai will get a chance to impress coaches over the next few months. If he doesn't, then the Bears will keep a close eye on veterans Nick Chubb and J.K. Dobbins.

Rutgers' Kyle Monangai runs for a gain against Michigan State
Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Bryan Perez
BRYAN PEREZ

Bryan Perez founded and operated Bears Talk, a Chicago sports blog. Prior to that, he covered the Bears for USA Today’s Bears Wire and NBC Sports Chicago. In addition to his Chicago Bears coverage, Perez is a respected member of NFL Draft media and was a past winner of The Huddle's Mock Draft competition. Bryan's past life includes time as a Northeast scout for the CFL's Ottawa Redblacks.

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