If you had to bet your life savings on the Bears drafting one position group this year what position would it be? If you chose running back you’re a smart gambler.
Sure they have other needs too. However, even before the Jordan Howard trade, it was obvious the Bears were looking to upgrade the position in the draft. They have met with over a dozen running backs in the pre-draft process in the hopes of getting a more dynamic playmaker to take over for Howard.
So it’s more a matter of what round than if they will draft a running back.
In order to help Bears fans get acquainted with some of the available options, I spent the last few weeks watching as many running back prospects as I could. I narrowed down my list to the 17 best running backs I watched and ranked them based on nine different traits running backs need to succeed in the NFL.
Those 17 players, in alphabetical order, are:

• Bruce Anderson (North Dakota State)
• Rodney Anderson (Oklahoma)
• Damien Harris (Alabama)
• Darrell Henderson (Memphis)
• Justice Hill (Oklahoma State)
• Elijah Holyfield (Georgia)
• Joshua Jacobs (Alabama)
• Bryce Love (Stanford)
• Alexander Mattison (Boise State)
• David Montgomery (Iowa State)
• Devine Ozigbo (Nebraska)
• Miles Sanders (Penn State)
• Devin Singletary (Florida Atlantic)
• Darwin Thompson (Utah State)
• Mike Weber (Ohio State)
• James Williams (Washington State)
• Trayveon Williams (Texas A&M)

For each category, I ranked each player from 0-16. Zero being the worst and 16 being the best. Each category was then weighted by importance to the position with vision being the most impactful and ball security being the least. At the end, I tallied up the scores for my final rankings.
Before we get to the final rankings, let’s take a look at the top-five players for each category.

Vision

1. Josh Jacobs
2. Damien Harris
3. Devin Singletary
4. Elijah Holyfield
5. Rodney Anderson

Elusiveness

1. Devin Singletary
2. Miles Sanders
3. Darwin Thompson
4. Darrell Henderson
5. Justice Hill

Contact Balance

1. David Montgomery
2. Devin Singletary
3. Josh Jacobs
4. Darrell Henderson
5. Alexander Mattison

Receiving Ability

1. Rodney Anderson
2. James Williams
3. Miles Sanders
4. David Montgomery
5. Josh Jacobs

Change of Direction and Lateral Agility

1. Devin Singletary
2. Miles Sanders
3. Justice Hill
4. Devine Ozigbo
5. Josh Jacobs

Athleticism

1. Darrell Henderson
2. Justice Hill
3. Miles Sanders
4. Darwin Thompson
5. James Williams

Pass Protection

1. Trayveon Williams
2. David Montgomery
3. Josh Jacobs
4. Elijah Holyfield
5. Alexander Mattison

Power

1. Elijah Holyfield
2. Alexander Mattison
3. Josh Jacobs
4. Rodney Anderson
5. Damien Harris

Ball Security

1. David Montgomery
2. Alexander Mattison
3. Damien Harris
4. Devin Singletary
5. Darrell Henderson

Without further ado, here are my final running back rankings for the 2019 NFL Draft.

Final RB Rankings

Round 2 Grade:

1. Josh Jacobs (Alabama): 161.7 points

Jacobs wins this in a landslide. He is the most complete back in this class. His lowest score for me came in the ball security category but this isn’t something to be overly concerned with because he improved as his career went on.
Jacobs can win in a variety of ways. He can run around, through or past you. Jacobs vision is what really stands out. He hits the right hole and knows how to manipulate linebackers behind the line of scrimmage to open up cut back lanes. He was also a top performer in contact balance, pass protection and power.
Jacobs worked in a running back by committee offense at Alabama which means he comes into the NFL with little wear and tear. He would be a perfect fit for what the Bears look for in a running back.
Unfortunately, the chances of him being there in the third for the Bears’ first pick is slim to none.
2. Devin Singletary (Florida Atlantic): 146.1 points

Singletary was the only player on this list to receive the highest grade in two categories (Elusiveness and Change of Direction). Honestly, he could have easily been the top dog in a couple of other categories as well.
His tape is filled with highlight-reel runs and plays that will make your jaw hit the floor.
He can string together cuts without losing speed unlike anyone in this class. 77 percent of Singletary’s yards this season came after contact which was the highest rate of the players studied.
Teams will be scared off by his lack of size, relatively poor combine, and lack of elite competition, but his tape shows the true story. Singletary is the real deal. Not only does he have elite elusiveness and change of direction but he also finished in the top five in vision, balance, and ball security.
He has shown flashes as a receiver and if he can continue to improve he would be a perfect fit for Chicago.
Although I have him with a second-round grade, it would not surprise me if he falls to the Bears.


3. David Montgomery (Iowa State): 138.6 points

When I began this exercise, Montgomery was my top-ranked running back. He didn’t necessarily do anything to disappoint, Jacobs and Singletary were just better. Montgomery seems to be getting overlooked in this class due to his lack of elite athleticism, but that would be a mistake.
Montgomery’s ability to absorb contact and glance of defenders make him a threat for a highlight play on any rush. He has an uncanny ability to make something out of nothing, often being contacted behind the line of scrimmage and still gaining positive yards.
He had some of the most impressive three-yard runs I’ve ever seen. His .39 missed tackles forced per attempt is the highest in the entire draft class.
Montgomery is also an underrated receiver and a great pass blocker. Two things the Bears will be looking at very closely.
He has a good chance of being available when the Bears pick in the third round despite my second-round grade.

Round 3 Grade:

4. Miles Sanders (Penn State): 135.2 points

Sanders seems to be a favorite amongst Bears fans and I can see why. His elusiveness and lateral agility are what stand out the most. Similar to Singletary, he has the ability to stack moves and make people miss without decelerating. He also is a good receiver out of the backfield.
Sanders proved at the combine he has the athleticism to be an elite running back. He ran a 4.49 40-yard dash while also finishing as a top performer in the agility drills.
Sanders needs to improve as a pass blocker but his biggest issue is his ball security. He has lost nine fumbles in his career including five just last season. He’s a talented player but will struggle to see the field if he doesn’t not improve in this area. Had he not had a zero in ball security he could have easily been my No. 2 running back.
Overall, Sanders would be a great fit for the Bears. It’s possible he won’t be available, but if he is there, he would more than likely be the pick.
5. Darrell Henderson (Memphis): 126.8 points

I have seen some people have Henderson as their number one running back. While I like him a lot, I just don’t see how he’s better than the players listed above. Yes, he has the athleticism to be an elite back … but his vision and lack of production against quality talent are a real concern.
He is a great linear athlete and uses his speed to run past people. However, when asked to change directions, he is not as dynamic as other prospects. He also needs to improve as a receiver.
That being said he has a ton of upside, maybe the highest of his class. Henderson’s athleticism alone, which I ranked as the best, should get him drafted high and his big-play ability undoubtedly will intrigue the Bears.
6. Rodney Anderson (Oklahoma): 121.6 points

Here we have the first big surprise of the rankings. Anderson missed most of 2018 with a torn ACL. And injuries are the story for Anderson as he also saw his season ended by injuries in 2015 (Broken fibula) and 2016 (Broken vertebrae). He rebounded nicely after those two injuries with 1,161 rushing yards, 13 rushing touchdowns to go along with 281 receiving yards and five receiving touchdowns.
It is Anderson’s receiving ability that stands out when watching tape. He didn’t have a ton of receptions in his career (17) but it was the difficulty of the receptions and route running ability that earned him my highest receiving grade. He also finished favorably in the vision (5th) and power categories (4th).
The third-round grade for Anderson is based solely on his on-field traits. With his injury history, he will be lucky to be drafted at all. But if his medicals check out, his vision and receiving ability would make him a perfect fit for the Bears.
He could be a potential impact player they can get late on Day 3.

Round 4 Grade:

7. Justice Hill (Oklahoma State): 119.4 points

Hill is another big-play threat with elite athleticism. His slight frame might scare off some teams but his change of direction and elusiveness should allow him to avoid big hits in the NFL.
Hill took advantage of light boxes in Oklahoma State’s spread offense. Only 45.5 percent of Hill’s yards came after contact on 2018 which is one of the lowest rates of the players I scouted.
Hill is a capable receiver out of the backfield and a surprisingly good pass blocker given his size. He should be able to contribute right away as a third-down back but probably won’t ever be able to become a feature back.
With the NFL going almost exclusively to a running back by committee approach, Hill should be able to have a long (and productive) career.
8. Alexander Mattison (Boise State): 113.7 points

Mattison is a player that I really like but I did not expect him to be this high. Before weighting the categories he was number six and only a few points behind Henderson. I would be shocked if he is drafted over someone like Harris. He benefited from being a top performer in some “not as impactful” categories such as ball security.
His lack of elite athleticism lower his ultimate ceiling but I would be shocked if Mattison doesn’t carve out a long NFL career. He finished with a good grade in vision, contact balance, ball security, pass protection, and power. He has a violent running style and a nose for the end zone with 30 total touchdowns over the last two seasons.
Mattison has shown flashes of potential as a receiver and is already a good pass blocker. So while he might not be the explosive receiver others on this list are, he is certainly better than Howard.
Thus, I could see him being a fit for what the Bears want out of their backs.
9. Devine Ozigbo (Nebraska): 107.5 points

Ozigbo is a bigger back at 235 pounds but you couldn’t tell it if you just watched his feet. He has some of the quickest feet in this class and it allows him to avoid tackles with the best of them. He had positive grades for me in elusiveness, contact balance, athleticism, change of direction, and power.
He wasn’t invited to the combine because … Well, I can’t really tell you why. However, at his pro day, he put up a low 4.5-second 40 and did well in the jumping tests. Given his size, he has more than enough athleticism to succeed.
He doesn’t have the best vision and needs to improve as a receiver so he might not be a great fit for the Bears.
10. Damien Harris (Alabama): 102.5 points

I expected Harris to be a lot higher than he is, but he just doesn’t have a ton of upside. I liked his tape but his lack of explosiveness really pushed him down in a lot of categories. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s drafted higher than I have him graded, but I wouldn’t touch him before the late fourth round.
He has good vision. Harris just doesn’t make a lot of people miss.
If I want a player who is going to pass block, not fumble, and get as many yards as the offensive line will give him I can get that in the late rounds.

Round 5 Grade:

11. Trayveon Williams (Texas A&M): 97.3 points
I am going to be a lot lower on Trayveon Williams than most and it wouldn’t surprise me to see him drafted much higher than I have him ranked based on what I’ve read. Nothing in his tape really jumped out at me, but he can be a solid rotational back.
He is a decent receiver and my top-rated pass protector so he could fit in perfectly in the Bears pass-first offense. However, it’s his lack of vision, elusiveness, and change of direction that would have me looking elsewhere.
12. Elijah Holyfield (Georgia): 92.2 points

Holyfield is a perfect example of a player who had a poor combine who I believe can still have a successful NFL career. His vision, combined with a few other categories, allow him to overcome some athletic deficiencies. I wouldn’t bet against the son of the former Heavyweight boxing champion.
13. Darwin Thompson (Utah State): 91.7 points
Thomson is like Singletary lite. The team that misses out on Singletary early on will most likely try and target him. He has good feet and athleticism which should allow him to carve out a niche role for himself. Unfortunately, he also was the worst ranked player in terms of vision.

Round 6 Grade:

14. Bruce Anderson (North Dakota State): 83.3 points
I was excited to watch Anderson after seeing a lot of good things on Twitter. And I saw some intriguing traits, specifically his receiving ability.
I also saw someone who benefited from good blocking against inferior competition and struggled with vision. He has a future in this league, and maybe that’s with the Bears, as a third-down back who could develop into a quality starter.

Round 7/UDFA Grade:

15. Bryce Love (Stanford): 68.2 points
Love is a player a lot of Bears fans … love. But I see an undersized, athletic running back who has proven he cannot stay healthy and doesn’t offer much as a receiver and nothing as a pass blocker. Those types of players do not have roles in the NFL.
16. James Williams (Washington State): 67.8 points
Another fan favorite, Williams was my lowest rated player to receive at least a score of 15 in one category. He stuffed the stat sheet with receptions during his time at Washington State but mostly on swing routes, screens, and checkdowns. He is a good receiving back but really does not offer much more than that.
17. Mike Weber (Ohio State): 62.4 points
I also imagine I will be lower on Weber than most as well. Again, nothing really jumped out and he was another player that struggled with fumbles at times in his college career.

Final Notes

• When I started this exercise I did not have Jacobs as my No. 1 running back. At the end of the day, he was number one by a pretty sizeable margin. Singletary, Sanders, and Henderson have the highlight reel runs but Jacobs is solid across the board making the top five in six of the nine categories.
• The Bears will be targeting a player who fits their pass-first scheme. So they need a player who can catch the ball out of the backfield but also protect Mitch Trubisky in the pocket. The only two players who finished in the top five in receiving ability and pass blocking are Jacobs and Montgomery. Williams just missed the cut as my sixth-ranked receiver (but top pass blocker). Jacobs will most likely be gone when the Bears pick at 87. Montgomery might still be there and Williams can be had on day three.
• Holyfield was the only player to receive a zero grade in multiple categories. (Receiving and Athleticism). If he were simply average in each category he would have jumped up to my No. 8 running back.
• Sanders is my highest ranked player to receive a zero in a category. But his ball security was by far the worst in the class with nine fumbles in his career. I like him a lot but fumbles can derail a career.
• Some players who just missed the original cut for a variety of reasons: Dexter Williams, Myles Gaskins, Benny Snell, Ryquell Armstead, Qadree Ollison, Tony Pollard. It is possible one or more of these players could have finished as high as number 12 or so had I including them in the final rankings.
• Some sleeper running backs I found intriguing as potential practice squad stashes: AJ Oullette (Ohio), Darrin Hall (Pittsburgh), Nico Evans (Wyoming)