The 2025 draft for the Chicago Bears took many by surprise. Pundits and fans alike viewed the running back room as a major need, which led to countless mock drafts, rumors, and dreams of the Bears landing highly touted Boise State running back, Ashton Jeanty, with the 10th overall pick.
Instead, they selected Michigan tight end Colston Loveland.
While Loveland ultimately proved to be one of the best picks of the 2025 draft, a large portion of the fanbase was left wondering why the team waited until
the seventh round to address running back, selecting Kyle Monangai out of Rutgers with the 233rd overall pick.
But not all of us were left wondering…
Kyle Monangai went on to become the highest-graded rookie running back of 2025, according to PFSN, not bad for a seventh-round pick.
He is one of just 12 running backs selected in the seventh round over the past 20 years to post an Approximate Value of 6 or higher while rushing for 750 or more yards as a rookie. Even more impressively, he is one of only three to accomplish that while starting fewer than eight games. Monangai started just one game in 2025.
The only others to do it were Jacory Croskey-Merritt of the Washington Commanders last year and Ahmad Bradshaw in 2007 with the New York Giants.
Value like that in the seventh round is rare to find, so who are some potential late-round talents that could replicate the success Kyle Monangai had in 2025?
Let’s take a look at five candidates I have my eye on.
USC LB Eric Gentry
Height: 6-6 3/8”
Weight: 221 lbs
Hands: 10 1/2″
Arms: 35 1/4″
Wingspan: 86 1/4”
Gentry, to me, is one of the more intriguing prospects in the 2026 draft. His unique frame places his height, hands, arms, and wingspan all in the 96th percentile or better among linebackers, while his weight sits in the 1st percentile. That combination makes him a one-of-a-kind player who relies heavily on his length and speed (4.59 in the 40) to track down and wrap up ball carriers.
He will likely need to add some bulk, around 10 to 15 pounds of muscle, to better hold up against second-level blocking if he were to become a down to down linebacker. Still, his athletic upside is hard to ignore and could be an immediate impact guy in special teams. He brings strong coverage ability, an area that was a concern for the Chicago Bears linebacker corps in 2025, and his length makes him a nightmare to throw over the middle against due to his exceptional reach.
Gentry also brings experience, having appeared in 52 collegiate games and producing consistently at a major program in a top conference.
With a need at linebacker, taking a late-round flyer on a highly athletic, productive player like Gentry would make a lot of sense.
BYU TE Carsen Ryan
Height: 6-3 3/8”
Weight: 255 lbs
Hands: 10″
Arms: 31 3/8″
Wingspan: 77 3/8”
Carsen Ryan is, admittedly, one of my biggest draft crushes in the 2026 class. I’m as confident in his ability to produce at the next level as I was with Kyle Monangai.
While Ryan is on the shorter side for an NFL tight end, he makes up for it with power, agility, and speed. He posted a 9.24 out of 10.00 in Relative Athletic Score (RAS), ranking 107th out of 1,392 tight ends since 1987.
Ryan also has soft, reliable hands, dropping just two passes on 59 targets in 2025. With his athleticism, he can manipulate defenders and create separation, traits that are reminiscent of Colston Loveland, though not to the same level.
While there may be some concerns about his overall collegiate production, his 2025 season was by far his most productive. He hauled in 45 passes for 620 yards and three touchdowns, emerging as one of BYU’s most reliable targets.
His offensive upside is further complemented by his blocking ability. In 2025, he earned a 69.2 pass-blocking grade and a 77.3 run-blocking grade, with the latter ranking ninth among tight ends nationally.
With Durham Smythe departing the Chicago Bears to join the Baltimore Ravens in 2026, a need has opened up for a third tight end. Carsen Ryan would be a strong addition to the mix in Ben Johnson’s offense.
Indiana TE Riley Nowakowski
Height: 6-2 1/4”
Weight: 250 lbs
Hands: 8 3/4″
Arms: 31 1/2″
Wingspan: 77 1/4”
With measurables similar to Carsen Ryan, Riley Nowakowski would be a natural backup option if Ryan isn’t available.
While he was less productive overall, hauling in 32 passes for 387 yards and two touchdowns in 2025, he was, by all accounts, an important piece of the Indiana Hoosiers offense during their national championship run. He served as a reliable safety blanket for quarterback Fernando Mendoza and contributed as a physical, hard-nosed run blocker for a team that led the Big Ten in rushing at 212.9 yards per game.
In the pass game, Nowakowski was as reliable as they come, recording zero drops on 36 targets in 2025. He also posted nearly identical blocking grades, with a 69.7 in run blocking and a 69.6 in pass blocking, not Earth shattering marks, but reliable marks you would want out of your third tight end.
If Ryan isn’t on the board, I’d love to see what Nowakowski could do in Ben Johnson’s system.
Indiana RB Roman Hemby
Height: 6-0”
Weight: 207 lbs
Hands: 9 1/2″
Arms: 31″
Wingspan: 75 3/4”
Roman Hemby was one half of the two-headed rushing attack that the Indiana Hoosiers football featured in 2025, alongside Kaelon Black. The duo combined for over 2,100 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns, with Hemby accounting for 1,120 yards and seven scores.
He is also a sure-handed receiver out of the backfield, recording over 100 career receptions with just three drops.
While he could use some development in pass protection, his offensive upside fits well within Ben Johnson’s scheme. He thrives in zone-running concepts, showing excellent vision and burst that allow him to reach the second level quickly, a trait that was common among Chicago Bears running backs in 2025.
However, he also brings something that group lacked: true home-run ability. The Bears’ longest run from scrimmage in 2025 was just 39 yards, while Roman Hemby has recorded six runs of 50 or more yards in his collegiate career.
There are some concerns about his ability to develop into a true three-down back, but that isn’t a major issue if he’s being drafted as a change-of-pace option or a third running back.
Boston College WR Lewis Bond
Height: 5-11”
Weight: 197 lbs
Hands: 9 7/8”
Arms: 29 1/4″
Wingspan: 72 5/8”
Lewis Bond is an intriguing wide receiver prospect for several reasons. Beyond the obvious connection to Ryan Poles and the Boston College Eagles football pipeline, as well as the appeal of bringing a hometown player to his hometown team, Bond was highly productive during his time with the Eagles.
He finished his career at Boston College as the program’s all-time leader in receptions, hauling in 213 catches. Of those, 88 came in the 2025 season, a single-season school record, which he turned into 993 yards and one touchdown.
While undersized for a traditional outside NFL receiver, which could create challenges when releasing off the line against press coverage, Lewis Bond does have experience lining up both outside and in the slot. Because of that, he projects best as a slot receiver, similar to the role Olamide Zaccheaus played in 2025, but without the drop concerns, as Bond’s career drop rate sits at just 4.5%.
Bond brings good quickness and shows strong awareness as a route runner, particularly against zone coverage, which allows him to consistently find space underneath. He also offers solid yards-after-catch ability, with 423 of his 993 receiving yards in 2025 coming after the catch.
That skill set would fit well in Ben Johnson’s offense, especially considering how Luther Burden III thrived showing off his YAC ability during his rookie season. Bond would add another dimension to the Chicago Bears’ offense, particularly in an area where depth is still needed.
Gary Baugher Jr. is a rookie contributor to WCG, bringing football insight backed by over 16 years of experience in organized football and more than 30 years as a passionate fan of the game. You can follow him on Twitter at @iamcogs.
