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The Chicago Bears are in the middle of another important offseason, where they're looking to shore up the roster and remain contenders in Ben Johnson's second season as head coach as the 2026 NFL Draft approaches.
The Bears didn't make any big splashes in free agency, where their biggest move was signing Super Bowl champion Coby Bryant to fill one of two starting safety vacancies left by the departing Kevin Byard and Jaquan Brisker. Chicago also added linebacker Devin Bush, defensive tackle Neville Gallimore and wide receiver Kalif Raymond. But the Bears also suffered some big losses, including wide receiver DJ Moore, linebacker Tremaine Edmunds, Byard and Brisker, as well as center Drew Dalman, who shockingly retired.
Chicago has seven draft picks that includes four selections in the top 89, including a pair of second rounders, where they can address some of their biggest needs, including defensive line, safety and offensive tackle.
Here at Bears Wire, we're going position by position to break down where Chicago stands entering the 2026 NFL Draft. Next up is running back, where the Bears return their 1-2 punch that led the NFL's third-best rushing attack last season.
There were plenty of doubts surrounding D'Andre Swift heading into the 2025 season, but he proved doubters wrong as part of a 1-2 punch with rookie Kyle Monangai on the league's third-best rushing attack. Reunited with Ben Johnson, Swift had a career year where he totaled 1,087 rushing yards on 223 carries with nine touchdowns. He also proved to be a weapon in the passing game with 34 receptions for 299 yards and a score. Swift is heading into the final year of his contract, where the expectation is he'll once again serve as the starter with Monangai complementing him.
Speaking of Monangai, he proved to be one of the biggest steals of the draft after just one year. While the Bears tried to land some impact running backs earlier in the draft, Monangai turned out to be incredible value. As a seventh-round pick, he served as part of a dynamic duo at running back alongside Swift. Monangai totaled 783 rushing yards on 169 carries (4.6 yards per carry) and five touchdowns. He enters his sophomore season looking to build on his rookie success and keep this Chicago run game among the top of the league.
Elsewhere, the Bears have some promising depth pieces in Brittain Brown and Deion Hankins, who were both preseason standouts. Brown saw some action in the regular season amid injuries, and with Travis Homer gone in free agency, he could have an opportunity to work into that third running back role, along with Hankins. Former fourth-round pick Roschon Johnson saw his contributions on offense completely fade last season, and he played primarily on special teams. So it wouldn't be a shock if he didn't earn a roster spot, especially if Brown or Hankins can prove their special teams value.
Travis Homer spent the last three seasons with the Bears, where he served mainly as a core special teamer while seeing the field sparingly on offense. In his first season with Chicago, Homer appeared in 16 games. Unfortunately, he missed a combined 14 games the following two years due to injuries. Last season, he totaled 10 tackles on special teams while logging one carry for negative yardage. Homer signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers this offseason, leaving an important hole to fill. While Homer didn't serve as an impact player on offense, he was one of the Bears' best special teams contributors. Now, Richard Hightower's unit has to find a viable replacement in Homer's departure.
All things considered, running back is near the bottom on a list of needs for the Bears this season. While they don't have a stud running back on the roster, they have a solid duo in D'Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai who complement each other well and helped contribute to the team's third-ranked rushing attack last season. In fact, Swift had a career year while Monangai proved to be one of the best value picks in the seventh round. If there's any need, it comes with the hole left by Travis Homer on special teams, but that doesn't necessarily need to come in the form of a running back.
The Bears aren't in the market for a running back in the NFL draft, especially given their needs at other positions. While last year's running back class produced the likes of Ashton Jeanty, Omarion Hampton, TreVeyon Henderson, Cam Skattebo and Quinshon Judkins, the biggest name in this year's class is Notre Dame's Jeremiyah Love, who's expected to go in the top half of the draft. But, as always, there's some potential hidden gems that teams can find in the later rounds.
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: NFL draft 2026 preview: Where Chicago Bears stand at running back
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The Bears didn't make any big splashes in free agency, where their biggest move was signing Super Bowl champion Coby Bryant to fill one of two starting safety vacancies left by the departing Kevin Byard and Jaquan Brisker. Chicago also added linebacker Devin Bush, defensive tackle Neville Gallimore and wide receiver Kalif Raymond. But the Bears also suffered some big losses, including wide receiver DJ Moore, linebacker Tremaine Edmunds, Byard and Brisker, as well as center Drew Dalman, who shockingly retired.
Chicago has seven draft picks that includes four selections in the top 89, including a pair of second rounders, where they can address some of their biggest needs, including defensive line, safety and offensive tackle.
Here at Bears Wire, we're going position by position to break down where Chicago stands entering the 2026 NFL Draft. Next up is running back, where the Bears return their 1-2 punch that led the NFL's third-best rushing attack last season.
Who's on the roster?
- D'Andre Swift
- Kyle Monangai
- Roschon Johnson
- Brittain Brown
- Deion Hankins
There were plenty of doubts surrounding D'Andre Swift heading into the 2025 season, but he proved doubters wrong as part of a 1-2 punch with rookie Kyle Monangai on the league's third-best rushing attack. Reunited with Ben Johnson, Swift had a career year where he totaled 1,087 rushing yards on 223 carries with nine touchdowns. He also proved to be a weapon in the passing game with 34 receptions for 299 yards and a score. Swift is heading into the final year of his contract, where the expectation is he'll once again serve as the starter with Monangai complementing him.
Speaking of Monangai, he proved to be one of the biggest steals of the draft after just one year. While the Bears tried to land some impact running backs earlier in the draft, Monangai turned out to be incredible value. As a seventh-round pick, he served as part of a dynamic duo at running back alongside Swift. Monangai totaled 783 rushing yards on 169 carries (4.6 yards per carry) and five touchdowns. He enters his sophomore season looking to build on his rookie success and keep this Chicago run game among the top of the league.
Elsewhere, the Bears have some promising depth pieces in Brittain Brown and Deion Hankins, who were both preseason standouts. Brown saw some action in the regular season amid injuries, and with Travis Homer gone in free agency, he could have an opportunity to work into that third running back role, along with Hankins. Former fourth-round pick Roschon Johnson saw his contributions on offense completely fade last season, and he played primarily on special teams. So it wouldn't be a shock if he didn't earn a roster spot, especially if Brown or Hankins can prove their special teams value.
Who departed this offseason?
- Travis Homer
Travis Homer spent the last three seasons with the Bears, where he served mainly as a core special teamer while seeing the field sparingly on offense. In his first season with Chicago, Homer appeared in 16 games. Unfortunately, he missed a combined 14 games the following two years due to injuries. Last season, he totaled 10 tackles on special teams while logging one carry for negative yardage. Homer signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers this offseason, leaving an important hole to fill. While Homer didn't serve as an impact player on offense, he was one of the Bears' best special teams contributors. Now, Richard Hightower's unit has to find a viable replacement in Homer's departure.
Positional need: Low
All things considered, running back is near the bottom on a list of needs for the Bears this season. While they don't have a stud running back on the roster, they have a solid duo in D'Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai who complement each other well and helped contribute to the team's third-ranked rushing attack last season. In fact, Swift had a career year while Monangai proved to be one of the best value picks in the seventh round. If there's any need, it comes with the hole left by Travis Homer on special teams, but that doesn't necessarily need to come in the form of a running back.
Top draft prospects
- Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame
- Jadarian Price, Notre Dame
- Kaytron Allen, Penn State
- Jonah Coleman, Washington
The Bears aren't in the market for a running back in the NFL draft, especially given their needs at other positions. While last year's running back class produced the likes of Ashton Jeanty, Omarion Hampton, TreVeyon Henderson, Cam Skattebo and Quinshon Judkins, the biggest name in this year's class is Notre Dame's Jeremiyah Love, who's expected to go in the top half of the draft. But, as always, there's some potential hidden gems that teams can find in the later rounds.
Follow Bears Wire on Twitter and Facebook
This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: NFL draft 2026 preview: Where Chicago Bears stand at running back
Continue reading...
