Chicago Bears: Running Backs to know for the 2019 NFL Draft

1. Miles Sanders, Penn State

Miles Sanders is one name that over the last few weeks has been the talk of running backs for the 2019 NFL Draft. After a strong performance at the scouting combine, Sanders has shot up many teams boards and likely played himself into day two conversation.

After sitting behind Saquon Barkley for two years, Sanders was finally given an opportunity to start in 2018 and made the most of every opportunity. After averaging 5.8 yards per carry in 2018 and rushing for nine touchdowns, Sanders has proven that he can be an immediate impact player at the NFL level.

There’s a lot to love about Sanders. He’s patient, has excellent vision, and is one of the more elusive running backs in this year’s draft. He may not be the most powerful runner in this draft, but he is willing to give 110 percent on each play, refusing to go down.

To take his game to the next level, one thing that Sanders will need to do is improve his decision-making. There are times where he seems to have the opportunity to make a big play in front of him, yet he tries to do too much, which ends up backfiring on him.

Sanders has also shown the ability to be a capable receiver. In 2018, he had 24 receptions for 139 yards, averaging 5.8 yards per reception. While these don’t seem like eye-popping numbers, Sanders is still growing in this area of his game and at the next level, the Bears could mold him into the perfect receiver needed to fit in Matt Nagy’s offense.