The Chicago Bears are using OTAs and minicamp to get a first glance at their players. With Ben Johnson at the helm and a flurry of new additions, the competition will be fierce during the summer.
The Bears made a bunch of additions on the offensive side, using the NFL draft as an asset. In April, they drafted running back Kyle Monangai in the seventh round. While they have D'Andre Swift and Roschon Johnson ahead of him on the depth chart, Monangai has caught the attention of his new coach.
When Johnson was speaking about Monangai, he said, "I appreciate the attention to detail and the pride he takes and how quickly he’s picking things up."
Johnson also shouted Monangai out for his play in minicamp that included a touchdown catch from Caleb Williams in a situational drill on Wednesday.
This is good news for the rookie but could spell bad news for Johnson.
Four players caught Ben Johnson's attention during the Bears' mandatory minicamp:
— Adam Jahns (@adamjahns) June 6, 2025
1. DE Dominique Robinson
2. Rookie LB Ruben Hyppolite
3. TE Joel Wilson
4. Rookie RB Kyle Monangai
Here's why:https://t.co/n5hD8Aw9xf
Roschon Johnson Should Be Looking Over His Shoulder
Johnson is heading into his third season with Chicago, but his production hasn't been anything jaw-dropping, to say the least. In 29 games with the Bears, Johnson had 502 rushing yards, 313 receiving yards, and eight touchdowns. Last season, he failed to record more than 150 rushing or receiving yards.
There's a lot of meat on the bone there, and Monangai is someone who could step up and take advantage if given the opportunity.
He has terrific quickness and vision with the ability to make a cut in the open field to make defenders miss. In his college career at Rutgers, Monangai had 3,222 rushing yards and 38 touchdowns. He went over 1,200 rushing yards and 250-plus receiving yards in back-to-back seasons.
If he continues to make plays this summer, he could certainly steal snaps from Johnson and become the RB2 on this club. There's a reason the Bears drafted him, and he's already making some plays in practice.