David Montgomery was an interesting prospect to study for the 2019 NFL draft. His critics took aim at his lack of field-flipping explosiveness, while his advocates pointed toward his elusive yet powerful running style.
We’re still quite a ways from knowing who will be proven correct, but so far this summer, Montgomery has been checking all the right boxes at training camp.
“He’s a tough out,” Bears running backs coach Charles London said via the Chicago Sun-Times. “He’s tough to bring down; he’s tough to tackle. It’s great to see his contact balance.”
Ah yes, that contact balance. Pop in any of Montgomery’s game films during his time at Iowa State and you’ll see rep after rep his borderline rare ability to dismiss the first would-be tackler en route to a positive gain.
Projecting whether a player’s traits on the college gridiron will be effective in the NFL is what makes scouting such a tricky business. Oftentimes, it’s the player’s mental makeup more than his physical skill set that separates the productive guys from the washouts. Montgomery’s already proven he has the mental makeup to be a long-time pro; and that’s making all the difference right now.
‘‘So far, he’s translated to this level of ball,’’ London said.
