Chicago Bears NFL Draft: 3 running backs to add for insurance

This offseason, the Chicago Bears have gone through more of a facelift than most teams, and it has been for the betterment of the organization.

General manager Ryan Poles laid the foundation for this offseason last year when he started to strip the roster down to its bones, giving the team a plethora of cap space to work with during free agency 2023. Not only that, but he did his best to add draft capital for this year and next year through multiple trades.

One position that has been overhauled in a big way is at running back. The Bears have Khalil Herbert as the presumed starter going into this coming season, but behind him now are a couple of newcomers.

D’Onta Foreman and Travis Homer were signed to be a complimentary back and a special teams contributor, respectively. Foreman will get a good amount of carries, while Homer should be more of a special teams ace and third down, pass-blocking specialist. With David Montgomery having left for a division rival, the Bears reloaded. But, they still shouldn’t consider themselves set at the position.

The Chicago Bears should not shy away from selecting a running back in the 2023 NFL Draft

As good as Foreman has been in reviving his career, he’s only on a 1-year deal. That gives him absolutely zero security going forward. The Bears may have just signed him as a placeholder for 2023, because, let’s be honest, the running back position isn’t one that’s heavily invested in anymore.

If the Bears have the chance to draft another back at the right spot, then they should do it. Now, that’s not to say the team should go out of their way to draft a running back early on. No, it shouldn’t be until Day 3, ideally.

But, with Foreman being on a 1-year deal and Homer being very specific in what he can do, the Bears should think about one more back as insurance, therefore planning to keep four on the roster during the regular season.

The following three running back prospects could be found later in the draft, and each one would bring their own skillset which would help this offense in one way or another.

Running backs the Chicago Bears could target for insurance in the Draft: Chris Rodriguez, Kentucky

The first back Chicago could look at late in the draft is a former teammate of likely first-round quarterback Will Levis. Levis handed the rock off to Chris Rodriguez dozens upon dozens of times over their careers together at Kentucky, and although Levis was the most impressive part of that offense, it was Rodriguez who often flashed, as well.

Rodriquez stands six feet tall, weighing in at 217 pounds, so he is a much bigger back, and he knows how to use that size. Rodriguez is a powerful, bruising runner who does not go down easily, and he continues churning those legs, a lot like we had seen Montgomery do in a Bears uniform.

Tackling Rodriguez is not for the faint of heart, and if a defender thinks about going for anywhere above his waist, the man isn’t going down. He is a back that requires a full wrap-up around the legs, otherwise he’ll simply power through would-be tacklers without a problem.

He’ll fall in the draft mostly because he doesn’t have that burst of speed or agility to be able to cut real fast, but Rodriguez is worth taking because of his early down upside. He’s also going to make some team very happy with how he performs in short yardage situations.

Over the last three years at Kentucky, Rodriguez totaled over 3,000 rushing yards and 27 touchdowns.

Running backs the Chicago Bears could target for insurance in the Draft: Chase Brown, Illinois

Probably one of the fan favorites to come to Chicago would be a guy that wouldn’t have to travel very far. Illinois running back Chase Brown could stay close to where he played his college ball, although not where he originally calls home.

Brown grew up in Ontario, Canada and didn’t move to the States until his junior year in high school. He played college ball at Western Michigan before transferring to play for the Illini in 2019. As a 5-year collegiate player, Brown enters the NFL as a 23-year-old rookie, which is a bit scary for professional teams.

That means he’ll only have a shelf life of probably four years before we might see a decline in production, if we’re looking at a league wide average.

Still, a rookie running back contract is a beautiful thing, as is a rookie quarterback contract.

Brown is a high-volume runner that stands 5-foot-10, weighing 209 pounds. He is no stranger to being a workhorse, as Illinois ran him an average of 27 times per game last season. He took those carries for over 1,600 yards on the ground and 10 scores.

Brown possesses excellent speed, running a 4.43 at the Combine and is great in the open field. He can also catch the ball well, running above average routes out of the back field. As a fifth rounder, you couldn’t go wrong selecting Brown. He’d be a great fit in Chicago and could wind up replacing Foreman in 2024.

Running backs the Chicago Bears could target for insurance in the Draft: Keaton Mitchell, East Carolina

Unlike the previous two guys, this last running back is small in stature and what many outlets are calling “lightning in a bottle.” East Carolina running back Keaton Mitchell stands only 5-foot-8 and weighed in at 179 pounds. But, he ran a blistering 4.37 in his 40-yard dash and that came as no surprise to anyone who had watched a lick of his tape.

This guy is a big play waiting to happen, and chances are, you won’t have to wait long. He led the nation in 10-plus yard carries last season with a whopping 54 of them. If you give him just a little bit of space, look out.

Fans who loved watching what Tarik Cohen could do before his career sadly ended will see plenty of similarities with Mitchell. He has that sudden burst that comes instantaneously with a one-cut mentality. All he needs is a slight opening, and he’ll make the right cut, and be off to the races.

Mitchell is also a natural catcher of the football, which the Bears could use. Not that Foreman or Herbert can’t do it, but the most reliable third down back on the roster might just be Homer, and Mitchell has a much more explosive skillset than Homer does.

If any of these three are available at the right price on Day 3, don’t be surprised if Poles takes the opportunity to add just one more weapon for Justin Fields and the offense. This is the year Poles gives Fields zero excuses to succeed.