Bears rookie Kyle Monangai turning heads early in training camp

Chicago Bears rookie running back Kyle Monangai isn’t your average seventh-round pick. Usually, guys selected that late in the NFL Draft face a tough road toward making the final roster.

That won’t be the case for Monangai. He’s a virtual lock for the 53-man squad, and there’s a chance he could threaten D’Andre Swift’s workload by the time the regular season rolls around.

That threat will only increase by the day if he keeps making plays at training camp like he did on Thursday, according to beat reporters on the scene.

Mongangai ripped off a long run and flashed some fancy open-field moves, according to the Chicago Sun-Times’ Patrick Finley.

The former Rutgers star’s speed was also on display, as ESPN’s Courtney Cronin noted.

“Ian Wheeler and Kyle Monangai might have to have a race to see who’s faster,” she shared on X. “Both had moments where they turned on the jets today, including a long run from Monangai during team.”

He even got some reps with the first team.

Monangai ran for 1,279 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2024, making it back-to-back seasons with more than 1,260 rushing yards to finish his college career.

A tough inside-outside runner, Monangai, who stands 5-foot-8 and 211 pounds, offers the Bears a unique blend of traits that neither Swift nor third-year pro Roschon Johnson possess. In fact, he’s sort of a combination of both players, in one package.

“From what I’ve already seen in his past work and what he’s done as an offensive coordinator, I’m just excited,” Monangai said after the Draft. “Everyone’s telling me how blessed I am to be under a Ben Johnson run team, and that’s the way I feel. I’m excited to get to work, meet him, and learn the playbook.”