Every college football player dreams of being a 1st round pick in the NFL. Next to a gold jacket in Canton is the greatest confirmation that they are among the best at what they do. Kyle Monangai is no different. He aspired to be a high draft choice when he began his college career at Rutgers. Many would argue he accomplished every task put in front of him to achieve that goal. He surpassed 1200 rushing yards in back-to-back seasons in one of the toughest conferences in college football. Yet Monangai still fell to the 7th round.
The reasons for it were typical. For all his productivity, the running back didn’t have the athletic specs that the teams preferred in the draft. He is short and not overly fast. One can imagine he was disappointed. Then again, Monangai always recognizes the silver lining in things. That is how he was raised. It didn’t take him long to realize that falling to the 7th round may have worked out in his favor. He explained why that is the case during an interview with Chicago Sports Net.
Kyle Monangai understands his good fortune.
Yes, he didn’t go as high as he hoped. At the same time, falling to the 7th round ensured he ended up with the Bears. Their new head coach, Ben Johnson, has one of the NFL’s most proven and respected rushing schemes. If there was ever a system a running back would love to play in, it’s this one. Ask Jamaal Williams, David Montgomery, and Jahmyr Gibbs. All had career-best years under Johnson.
It sounds like Kyle Monangai is already meshing with the scheme. He is getting legitimate reps with the first and second-team offenses in practice, competing with Roschon Johnson for snaps. That is a surefire sign the coaches like what they’ve seen. It also shows the running back likes what he’s seen. His philosophy is correct. Ultimately, when you go in the draft doesn’t matter. It is where you go.
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