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Expect Bears to Be Back Browsers in NFL Draft

It could be time for the Bears to give David Montgomery some help with someone who is an actual running back and not a converted wide receiver or a third-down back.
Gene Chamberlain|
Expect Bears to Be Back Browsers in NFL Draft
Expect Bears to Be Back Browsers in NFL Draft

Bears GM Ryan Pace left the team particularly vulnerable all 2020 to injuries at two positions by failing to supply experienced depth.

Wouldn't you know it, when the Bears needed to be healthy the most they were without inside linebackers Roquan Smith. The only sub capable of starting a playoff game was Manti Te'o, a Bear for about a month and half on the practice squad.

Earlier, it was running back where they didn't have a backup with any real experience following the torn ACL suffered by Tarik Cohen. And when they had a real opportunity to halt their losing streak at three against Minnesota's struggling defense they had no legitimate fill-in for David Montgomery following his concussion against the Titans.

This year Pace has to make certain he has someone who has done it before at those positions, or at least a young player talented enough to step in for a while.

The Bears wanted to originally play a running back rotation when Matt Nagy became coach and it was meant to be more than just David Montgomery and Tarik Cohen. Last year it became Montgomery or the occasional Cordarrelle Patterson run on a stretch play.

It's unlikely Cohen will be available for offseason work, according Pace. However, Cohen is expected for training camp.

Anticipating a running back to be back 100% from an ACL tear in 10 months is a bit presumptuous, especially with a back whose chief strength is his speed and cutting ability.

So the Bears need another back.

The running back position, in particular, should be easy enough to fill with a talented young player because more backs get to show off their skills in today's college game than ever before. More and more schools have gone to using multiple backs in a rotation and it gives more players a chance to be seen in game conditons by the NFL.

And then they are signed and their position is underappreciated and undervalued.

Leaving it in the hands of practice squad types would be foolish for the Bears when the draft could have plenty of backs who might be available on Day 3.

The need isn't great enough to address over others, specifically quarterback, tackle, slot cornerback, wide receiver and safety. Still, it is necessary and here are both some later options in the draft at the position for the Bears to ponder, or players who could jump out at them because of some special skill sets but won't be drafted with the top backs.

Michael Carter

The fleet, North Carolina, all-purpose back rushed for 3,404 yards in four seasons and had 82 receptions for 656 yards. He has moves, speed and a bit of power even at 5-9, 199. He shared time with Javonte Williams, who was more of the Tar Heels power back. Carter had a big week in the Senior Bowl both in practice and in the game, as he was the rushing leader who scored the go-ahead TD by powering into the end zone inside of a scrum, but earlier had made a tackler miss and scampered 27 yards like a breakaway back.

Javonte Williams

The other North Carolina back who is more of a power threat at 5-10, 220. Like Carter, he went over 1,000 yards in his final year and had 2,297 yards in three seasons. Also, despite being a bigger back he was able to catch 50 passes for 539 yards in three seasons. What some scouts see him doing best is power ahead for first downs in third-and-short or fourth-and-short situations.

Javian Hawkins

Louisville's speed threat who will probably run in the 4.4s, he's 5-9, 182 pounds but as a redshirt freshman was the load back despite a lack of size. He0 made 264 carries for 1,525 yards. They didn't explore his receiving ability much, although he did pluck 16 passes in his final year.

Demetric Felton

Like Carter, this UCLA back had a big Senior Bowl week and it helped get his name out there as a back who could also be a slot receiver, or a slot receiver who could also be a back. He made a nice Senior Bowl TD catch by burning a DB who played too far off and gave him room to run in the game. He played running back for six games this past season and averaged 5.1 yards a carry but before that was a wide receiver. Finished with 1,101 rushing yards and 958 passing yards on 99 catches. His 55 catches in 2019 was a huge number for a college back, or was he a receiver? Has a nice burst and sizes up the field well like a running back would, and as a receiver he creates mismatches. He might be an ideal fit as a replacement for Cohen while he's still rehabbing.

Larry Rountree III

Not a flashy back but one who could prove dependable and even a load bearer in the NFL. He seemed at is best in the fourth quarter of games, according to several scouts. He ran for 3,720 career yards and 40 TDs, and has decent hands but he went over 1,000 yards just once as he did a lot of job sharing. He's more of a power back type, somewhat like Jordan Howard was for the Bears, but also has a real knack for picking up short-yardage plays.

Trey Sermon

Ohio State's backup last year and for the first three years of his career an Oklahoma back who shared snaps with others throughout. at 6-1, 215 he is a powerful load to bring down and showed it in his 331-yard game on 29 carries against Northwestern for the Big Ten title after quarterback Justin Fields had been rendered ineffective. It's difficult to say if he'll fall far simply because there are some well-scouted backs ahead of him on the list, but he might be one worth jumping on if he falls to you in the middle rounds.

Chuba Hubbard

A load bearer for Oklahoma State but not a big back at 6-foot, 208, necessarily. He had a phenomenal 328 carries in 2019 for 2,094 yards -- numbers that were a throwback to the old days of college football. For his career, he finished with 3,459 yards on 585 carries. Scouts for Walterfootball.com worry about poor pass-blocking technique, although in 2019 it sounds like they didn't have much time for passing as they were grinding him into the ground by giving him so many carries.

Rakeem Boyd

Arkansas back who shared duties and had 2,176 yards on 389 carries in three seasons. He averaged 8.4 yards a carry in his second season and doesn't necessarily possess blazing breakaway speed but is extremely shifty and makes people miss. He possesses average size for an NFL back at 6-foot, 212.

Jermar Jefferson

The next Oregon State back after the Bears' Artavis Perce and Ryan Nall. He split time with Pierce in 2019 and had 685 yards. For his career he gained 2,923 yards, including 1,380 in 2018. A bit of a hard-running power type at 5-10, 217. He played for new Bears running backs coach Michael Pitre. Would the Bears continue this trend of signing Oregon State backs who went undrafted? Jefferson is projected by most as a later rounder or undrafted player.

Max Borghi

A versatile, utility type of back from Washington State who compares to Danny Woodhead. He made 86 receptions for 597 yards in 2019, when he ran for 817 yards on 127 carries. He combines soft hands with quick feet and an ability to absorb hits even at 5-10, 198. This is the kind of guy a special teams coordinator could love because of his willingness to do just about anything on a field.

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.

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