Chicago Bears trade up, select David Montgomery with 73rd overall pick

The Chicago Bears moved up for the second year in a row and grabbed Iowa State running back David Montgomery with the 73rd overall pick.

The Chicago Bears traded up with the New England Patriots for the second straight year and grabbed Iowa State running back, David Montgomery. Originally scheduled to make their first selection with the 87th overall pick, the Bears saw both Penn State running back, Miles Sanders and Memphis running back, Darrell Henderson go off the board and felt the need to move up to get their guy.

The Bears figured to be selecting a running back with one of their first picks after trading Jordan Howard to the Philadelphia Eagles last month.

Montgomery was a three-year starter at Iowa State rushing for a combined 2,925 yards on 624 carries (4.7 ypc) with 26 touchdowns. He also hauled in 71 receptions out of the backfield to the tune of 582 yards. He was an absolute workhorse for the Cyclones, showing excellent footwork and elusiveness.

He eclipsed the 100-yard rushing mark 15 times in three seasons with a career high of 189 rushing yards on 29 carries last season in the win against West Virginia.

At the NFL Scouting Combine, Montgomery ran a 4.63 40-yard dash with a vertical jump of 28.5 inches and a broad jump of 121.0 inches. He has terrific size for a running back, standing at 5′-10″ and weighing 222 pounds.

What I like most about Montgomery is his patience to wait for his blockers and shows a good burst through open holes. He can also make defenders miss as he broke a Pro Football Focus record in 2017 for most missed tackles in a season (109).

Montgomery finished sixth in school history in rushing yards and eighth all-time in rushing touchdowns, per the school’s website. We’ll have more on Montgomery, but for now the Bears appear to be set at the running back position.

The team signed former 49ers and Seahawks running back, Mike Davis to a two-year deal worth $6 million and still have Tarik Cohen on the roster.