Chicago Bears: Latest NFL.com mock draft finds their new RB

The agenda for the Chicago Bears going into the 2019 NFL draft has become clear. The trading of Jordan Howard after months of anticipation made it so.

It would appear the Bears have two primary areas of the roster they must focus on. Running back is obvious with Howard’s exit. Current projections have recent free agent signing Mike Davis teaming with Tarik Cohen as a tandem. People may not like that idea but Davis is a former 4th round pick who had a good year for Seattle last season. He has some talent that appears to be not fully explored yet. Still, it would not surprise if the Bears grabbed another running back in the draft.

The other position is outside linebacker. Khalil Mack and Leonard Floyd are fixed as the starters for this season. Concerns lay with what’s behind them. Aaron Lynch and Sam Acho are both gone. Isaiah Irving and Kylie Fitts, both of whom have a combined one career sack in the NFL, are the current backups. Chicago needs more depth at such a critical position.

It seems NFL.com draft expert Chad Reuter is conscious of this situation and had answers for it in his latest mock draft.

"3rd Round: Ben Banogu, OLB, TCU“Khalil Mack proved to be worthy of the price the Bears paid for him. Finding a young pass rusher to complement Mack and Leonard Floyd will make the Bears’ defense even scarier.”4th Round: Elijah Holyfield, RB, Georgia“Holyfield’s timed speed is not indicative of his game speed, nor his power through contact. He’ll be a strong contributor as a rookie for whichever team drafts him.”"

Ben Banogu and Elijah Holyfield would be intriguing Chicago Bears

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The notable name here is Holyfield. He’s known mostly for being the son of legendary boxing champion Evander Holyfield these days but is trying to make a name for himself in football. He took a big step in that direction in 2018, running for over 1,000 yards for Georgia on just 158 carries. The young man appears to be in great physical shape, runs with considerable power and has balance and quickness. So why might some people cringe at this idea?

Mostly because Holyfield had a disastrous showing at the scouting combine. He ran an official 4.78 time in the 40-yard dash, which is bad for a running back. His average vertical and broad jumps didn’t help. It was a rough day for him. Yet the tape doesn’t lie. The kid has certain traits that can make him a productive NFL player. Not a featured guy, but someone who can fill that short-yardage role Howard left vacant.

As for Banogu, he’s been one of the interesting names rising up draft boards after his strong performance at the Senior Bowl. An edge rusher out of TCU, he had 17 sacks and 32.5 tackles for a loss between 2017 and 2018. He displays good acceleration, quickness, and athleticism. He looks like a classic 3-4 outside linebacker but does come with questions of power and lack of polish. All in all not a terrible pick but certainly an interesting one.

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