Chicago Bears: Ranking the top 10 current players on roster

Experience: Third season

Drafted: 2016, fifth round, 150th overall by CHI

Finally, we get to the top.

Who would have thought a fifth round pick would amount to be a star so quickly? Jordan Howard is, without a doubt, the most underrated running back in all of football.

As a rookie, Howard began the season third on the depth chart. He won the starting job in week four and never looked back. Howard ended 2016 as the NFL’s second-leading rusher with 1,313 yards and did it while starting only 13 games.

In 2017, he followed it up with another 1,000 yard season, scoring nine touchdowns along the way — three more than he scored as a rookie.

Howard was voted to the Pro Bowl in 2016 but missed out last season. The only explanation I see for the lack of respect is due to the fact that people really don’t understand what he is doing in Chicago.

Howard came out after the season and essentially said that defenses knew what they were going to do every play. Boxes were stacked against him nearly every down. That means Howard was having the success he had against loaded fronts the majority of the time.

Can I interest you in an overtime burst through a 10-man front?

Howard is one of those backs that gets better and better as the game goes on. He’s one of the few workhorse backs in the league these days. They are tough to find, but Howard take that role head on and has done nothing but impress in his first two years.

Must Read: 10 prospects to watch at combine

In a new system — one fit for this century — Howard should thrive even more. Look for 2018 to be his best season yet, by far. Who’s ready for September?