The Chicago Bears have one of the best running back duos in the NFL, but they do not have a high-end top rusher. Jeremy Fowler of ESPN recently ranked the top ten running backs in the NFL based on a poll conducted by scouts, executives, and coaches across the NFL.
While Bears fans knew that Kyle Monangai would not hit the top ten, his running back mate D’Andre Swift did not, either. Swift finished just outside of the three honorable mention names as well. He did get listed as one of the backs who received votes.
So, Swift joined Javonte Williams, Chase Brown, Ashton Jeanty, TreVeyon Henderson, Travis Etienne and Alvin Kamara as the backs who ended up ranked in the 14-20 range.
That is respectable company, but it also shows how difficult it is to crack the top tier at the position. Swift has been productive, yet many around the league still view him as just outside that elite group.
D’Andre Swift gets little league-wide respect in the latest ranking
Fortunately for Swift, he was in the same tier of players last year. So, he did not quite fall off. However, unfortunately for Swift, many Bears players saw their stats and reputation skyrocket under Ben Johnson. Swift ended up maintaining the status quo.
Swift was bordering on draft disappointment during the first three years of his NFL career. He had 1,680 rushing yards in three NFL seasons with the Detroit Lions. However, a change of scenery and a trade to the Philadelphia Eagles have launched a new career path.
He has recorded 3,095 yards on the ground over the past three years. Of those, 2,046 came last season. He went from 959 yards in 2024 to 1,087, so the increase of 129 yards is absolutely nothing. However, at the same time, Swift also went from 386 receiving yards to 299. So, he ended up with 41 more yards from scrimmage.
It was still enough to set a career high in scrimmage yards and rushing yards. So, Swift has improved, but not quite enough to get the recognition.
Josh Jacobs was listed as a back to receive votes, and Jahmyr Gibbs came out as the second-rated running back. So, he ended up as the third-highest back in the NFC North. The other backs to get listed as honorable mention right ahead of Swift were Kyren Williams and Quinshon Judkins.
| More Bears News and Rumors |
Add us as a preferred source on Google