The Chicago Bears are going to draft a running back. If there is anything you can say with confidence about what happens in two weeks, it’s that. D’Andre Swift averaged 3.8 yards per carry last season. We also know head coach Ben Johnson doesn’t have a high opinion of him after green-lighting the trade to Philadelphia from Detroit two years ago. Add the depth concerns with only Roshcon Johnson behind him and it’s easy to see why the Bears likely attack the position early. What people want to know is who it will be.
Probably the two names mentioned the most often are Ashton Jeanty of Boise State and TreVeyon Henderson of Ohio State. Jeanty is the consensus top back in the draft and one of the best to come out of college in a decade. He has certified star power. Henderson is the most explosive back in the draft, earning comparisons to Jahmyr Gibbs, among others. He would be the obvious long-term replacement for Swift. However, that might not be the name to watch. Jeremy Fowler of ESPN brought it up in a recent column.
Keep an eye on Kaleb Johnson of Iowa.
“He’s got to go to a wide zone [rushing] team,” an AFC executive said. “The scheme fits him well, and he’s going to be a solid pro, but if you’re looking for somebody with early quickness or avoidability, he doesn’t have that.”
Examples of wide zone rushing teams include the San Francisco 49ers, Los Angeles Rams, Chicago Bears, Minnesota Vikings and Pittsburgh Steelers.
Fowler isn’t the only one who brought this up. Mason Cameron of Pro Football Focus also believes the Hawkeyes star is somebody the Bears have circled for early on Day 2 of the draft.
Should the Bears miss out on Ashton Jeanty in the first round, there is no need to panic. Johnson would be a solid option for one of Chicago’s two second-round selections. He is a physically gifted back with top-tier speed-to-power conversion that allowed him to notch top-percentile marks in elusive rating (131.5) and yards after contact per attempt (4.42) last season.
The Chicago Bears have every reason to like Johnson.
If you’re looking for a running back who just feels like he’s going to be a productive player for a long time, that is him. He isn’t special in any category. His size and power are solid. His speed is okay but not electric. This is somebody who fits the definition of “more than the sum of his parts.” Johnson gets the absolute most out of his talent through intelligence, vision, and instincts. Keep in mind Iowa had a passing attack that barely eclipsed 1700 yards. Every opponent knew they were running, and Johnson still had 1,537 yards and 21 touchdowns.
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Everything comes down to when the Chicago Bears want to pull the trigger. It is expected Johnson will be available in the 2nd round. Is that too early? Some feel he is more of a 3rd round target, but waiting until then would be risky. If Ryan Poles doesn’t want to tempt fate, going with Johnson at #39 or #41 would be a sensible decision. His fit in Ben Johnson’s offense would be silky smooth.
@Gator Joe is exactly right. Why would we draft Kaleb Johnson who is slower like Roschon? Plus, he’s not as good out of the backfield catching the ball nor as good pass blocking. Hampton, if available, would be much better. OR take Judkins. He’s a tenth faster than KJ, about the same build and a solid pass catching RB.
Gimme that extra tenth of a second (equal to about 3 feet of space) to get through a hole. It’s the difference between little to no gain, and at least 3-4 yards.
I want to like this kid. But something keeps telling me that he may not succeed as well in the NFL. If Jeanty is gone, I’d go OL or DL early… unless you want to think outside the box and draft Warren.
I really like Warren a lot. The guy sometimes looks like a modern version of Ditka, if you ever watch old films. There are times he looks like a man playing among boys out there – just overwhelming the defender out there.
I hope everybody remembers why we didn’t offer big $ to re-sign Monty. He was just too slow. No need to spend a 2nd rounder on a slow guy. We won’t take RB in the 1st. Look for beef or DE or maybe Warren. I like Judkins in the 2nd or, if not, there are a host of decent guys later on that can contribute. I could see a S with one of the 2nd rounders. If we are able to trade down a few spots in the 1st and pick up another 2nd then I could almost guarantee that… Read more »
Erik hit the pause and take a deep breath on D’Andre. He’ll have a very successful 2025. His history proves he has success behind a competent O-line. I don’t think Moses could have parted an opening with last seasons O-line.
I’m not very excited about Kaleb either. He had it pretty easy at Iowa. He did a good job there which I credit but I have some doubts that it translates to the NFL. People got hyped about Jeanty (who I like too) but I don’t believe will be available at 10. Da Bears do need a RB to try to unseat Roschown Johnson. Swift will be a ’26 decision due to roster money. Swift might be ok in BJ’s offense too. But RJ didn’t provide much last year as the power back. RJ seems like damaged goods (until we… Read more »