The Chicago Bears running backs legacy is deeper than any other franchise in the NFL. That’s why it is okay to give them the benefit of the doubt when it comes to replacing Jordan Howard after trading him to Philadelphia. Will it happen right away? Fans certainly hope so. They don’t want to experience life without a proven back right when this offense is fixing to take off.
That means they must make sure they set the backfield with enough talent. Signing Mike Davis was a decent touch, but it feels like another move is coming. All eyes have turned to the NFL draft. Though the Bears have no high picks in the 1st or 2nd round, it’s felt they can still secure themselves a capable back to team with Davis and Tarik Cohen.
The question is who do they pick and how do they know if he’ll be good? Drafting isn’t an exact science overall. In order to get an answer though, why not look back at Bears history for some possible ideas. Upon examining their rich legacy, one commonality did emerge.
Top Chicago Bears running backs scored a lot of TDs on the ground
One of the popular things about the draft is that it’s not always a wise decision to use college production to project future NFL success. However, it does have its place if the athletic measurements check out. This is especially true at running back. One can look back at the best names these Bears have produced over the past several decades and find a common theme among all of them.
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They put the ball in the end zone a lot. Save for Gale Sayers, almost every notable back who thrived in Chicago scored at least 30 times in their college career.
- Gale Sayers: 2,675 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns (just 412 total carries)
- Walter Payton: 3,500 rushing yards and 65 touchdowns
- Neal Anderson: 3,234 rushing yards and 30 touchdowns
- Thomas Jones: 3,998 rushing yards and 37 touchdowns
- Matt Forte: 4,265 rushing yards and 39 touchdowns
- Jordan Howard: 3,681 rushing yards and 24 touchdowns
It’s worth noting that Sayers actually scored at a similar rate to the others listed above. Roughly every 4.6% of the times he carried the ball. Consistent production in yardage is fine, but the best ones tend to be those who can find the end zone. So knowing this, how might it reshape the list of potential draft prospects connected to the Bears for this 2019 class?
Get ready for a minor shock.
- Devin Singletary (FIU): 4,287 rushing yards and 66 touchdowns
- Trayveon Williams (Texas A&M): 3,615 rushing yards and 34 touchdowns
- Darrell Henderson (Memphis): 3,545 rushing yards and 35 touchdowns
- David Montgomery (Iowa State): 2,925 rushing yards and 26 touchdowns
- Miles Sanders (Penn State): 1,649 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns
- Josh Jacobs (Alabama): 1,491 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns
That’s right. The three backs who are considered by many to be the best in this class are at the bottom of the list in terms of production. Jacobs never seized control of the starting job at Alabama. Sanders was stuck behind Saquon Barkley at Penn State. Montgomery was the unquestioned starter at Iowa State but was modest in his end zone trips.
Meanwhile, somebody like Williams who is constantly derided for his size put up 34 touchdowns in the SEC. That is definitely worth noting. It’s not certain which running back the Bears will end up taking. Whomever it is though, if they were proficient at scoring a lot in college then it’s a safe bet they will have some success with this team.
