The Bears waited until the 7th round to add a RB in a historically great draft class. Can the 7th rounder fill the shoes of a former Bear in the new offense?
As I articulated in my Top 10 Running Backs series, this was a loaded class with a diverse flavor and style profile for myriad offensive schemes around the league. Speedy backs like Sonic, I mean Jaydon Blue, power backs like Cam Skattebo and Ollie Gordon. And even all-around backs like Kaleb Johnson and Omarion Hampton.
Like many of you, I was eagerly anticipating one of the aforementioned RBs to be selected with one of the Chicago Bears’ first 3 or 4 picks.
That didn’t happen.
What they did do, however, was select a talented but more one-dimensional power runner in round 7 in former Rutgers RB Kyle Monangai. I was curious to know if he could be the Knuckles to D’Andre Swift’s Sonic in Ben Johnson’s offense similar to David Montgomery. Let’s take a look at the comparison.
Kyle Monangai: 5’8”, 211, 28.75” arms, 9” hands, 4.6 forty, 1.54 10yd split, 34.5” vert, 9’9” broad / 669 carries, 3222 yards, 4.8avg, 27 TD’s, 0 fumbles (college)
David Montgomery: 5’10”, 222, 31.3/8”, 9.1/4”, 4.63, 1.55, 28.5”, 10’1” / 624 carries, 2925 yards, 4.7avg., 26 TD’s (college)
Both players played in Power 5 conferences, the B1G Ten and Big 12. Both players forced an insane amount of tackles (though Monty has the edge there) and posted similar testing numbers at the combine, though Montgomery is a bit bigger.
Kyle Monangai: 139 Missed Tackles Forced Since 2023
The Next Closest Big Ten Running Back had 91 @RFootball pic.twitter.com/6yPi1ywAZk
— PFF College (@PFF_College) March 15, 2025
David Montgomery owns the @PFF_College record for most missed tackles forced in a season (109 in 2017) and his 2018 numbers were 2nd-best (102).
( via @ChicagoBears)
https://t.co/XP7cRF2xa5— PFF (@PFF) August 5, 2019
That brings me to the question of the day:
Can Kyle Monangai fill the Knuckles role in Ben Johnson’s offense?
I would say yes.
I feel the run game will be accented by a more diverse passing game led by Caleb Williams and the multiple weapons at his disposal. But with the short area burst/quickness, pass blocking, tackle breaking and ball security of Kyle Monangai, Knuckles will once again have a role in Ben Johnson’s 2025 offense. And his name is Kyle.