The Jordan Howard era doesn’t appear likely to come to an end just yet, especially not now that Kareem Hunt is a Cleveland Brown and there’s no real upgrade available in free agency.
If the Bears want to add competition at running back, they’ll have to do it in the 2019 NFL draft, where they don’t have a pick until the third round. And while that may seem like a disadvantage when searching for starting-level talent, this year’s running back class is deep enough to push a potential first-year starter deep into Day 2.
The 2019 NFL Combine is set to kick off next week and several of the top running backs, both healthy and injured, will be in attendance for the Bears to work out and get to know in meetings and interviews.
Here are five options Chicago could set their sights on and study a little harder at the scouting combine.
Elijah Holyfield | Georgia
Elijah, the son of former Boxing champion Evander Holyfield, is a 215-pound bowling ball who has the kind of short-area burst needed to make chunk plays in the NFL. The NFL Combine will be particularly important for Holyfield; if he runs in the mid-to-low 4.5’s, he might not be around for the Bears to pick in the third round. Chicago’s proven they’re willing to move up a few spots to grab a guy they really covet, and if Holyfield has a big performance in Indianapolis, he’d be that guy.
Damien Harris | Alabama
It seems like an eternity ago that Harris was considered the top running back in this year’s class, but he lost ground to several talented prospects this season — including his own teammate, Josh Jacobs — and now looks destined to come off the board on Day 2. Harris should test well enough to keep his name in the mix for the second round, but if he slides into Round 3, the Bears have to take a long, hard look.
Darrell Henderson | Memphis
If the Bears want a home-run hitter, then Henderson is the guy GM Ryan Pace has to circle. He averaged 8.9 yards per carry in 2018, which may sound like a fluke. But he did it two seasons in a row! There’s no doubt the 5-9, 200-pounder is field fast, but it’ll be interesting to see what his 40-yard dash comes in at. If he blazes, he could challenge for top-50 status. If his straight-line speed is a little underwhelming, he could be a gift that falls into Chicago’s lap at No. 90.
Bryce Love | Stanford
Love won’t participate in any on-field drills or athletic testing at the NFL Combine while he recovers from a torn ACL suffered in January, but the former Heisman Trophy finalist has a lot of exciting traits that could work well in coach Matt Nagy’s offense. He ended the 2017 season as one of the nation’s top running backs and looked destined for top-50 status this year, but his sluggish season combined with the devastating injury should keep him on the board when the Bears are on the clock. With Howard in place for another season, Love could have a redshirt year in Chicago with the plan for him to take over the running game in 2020.
David Montgomery | Iowa State
There’s no reason why Montgomery should slip out of the second round, and to be honest, there’s not much separating him from Alabama’s Josh Jacobs — if anything at all. Montgomery doesn’t have blazing speed, but he possesses incredible contact balance and lower-body flexibility; he’s really good at changing directions in tight spaces and he has the physical make-up to take the pounding delivered to feature backs in the NFL. Bears fans should hope Montgomery runs a slower-than-expected 40-yard dash; it could help him fall to the Windy City.
