Kyle Monangai: Biggest steal in the 2025 NFL Draft?
Many were disappointed when the Bears didn't add a running back through the first six rounds of the 2025 NFL Draft. The position was seen as one of their most glaring weaknesses, and fans and draft pundits alike shipped many of the top backs in the class, including Ashton Jeanty, to Chicago.
Very few expected the only major addition to the RB room to be brought in via the seventh-round selection of Kyle Monangai. Far fewer people expected the 233rd pick of the NFL Draft to play as well as he has through the first half of the season.
The University of Rutgers product is coming off a 26-carry, 176-yard performance against the Cincinnati Bengals. He also added 22 receiving yards. He completely put the offense on his back
Now, I know the Bengals weren't exactly fielding a defense that would rival the '85 Bears or '00 Ravens today. Still, they were coming into the game thinking Chicago wasn't exactly trotting out Walter Payton. Monangai made them rethink their stance with his best Sweetness impersonation (that's hyperbolic, but I want there to be no mistake on how bullish I am on him).
Monangai is also two games removed from a 94-yard performance against the Saints. He's not a flash in the pan, one-hit wonder. He's a promising player with a sustainable skill set. Ben Johnson's ideal offense is predicated on running the ball well and gashing defenses with play-action shots down the field. That's his deep-rooted mantra.
The question before the season began was who would be the thunder to D'Andre Swift's lightning. Who will be the Bears' version of David Montgomery from Johnson's days in Detroit? Monangai has answered that question emphatically. He's the gai.
Monangai might not be as physically gifted as Ashton Jeanty, who got selected with the sixth overall pick. However, you could make a case that the seventh-round pick has had a better start to his career. He has only 83 fewer rushing yards despite having 53 fewer attempts. The Raiders' abysmal offensive line has played a role there, and Jeanty still passes the eye test with flying colors. Regardless, Monangai absolutely does too, and he got taken 227 picks later.
No position has become more devalued in the modern day NFL than running back. That's why the Raiders selection of Jeanty at sixth overall was somewhat surprising considering their other glaring weaknesses. Seemingly every class features a handful of runners who significantly outperform their draft position. The former Scarlet Knight looks like the latest example of that.
It might be early to make a declarative statement, but he also looks every bit like one of the biggest steals in the 2025 NFL Draft right now.
Bengals Urged to Consider Reunion With Recently Cut Veteran Cornerback
If the Bengals have any angst about their DBs room, they could choose to sign recently released Mike Hilton.
Mike Hilton may not be out of work for long, and he may be back in the Charm City too.
The recently released defensive back could find a soft landing spot with the Cincinnati Bengals after Hilton was let go by the Miami Dolphins on Monday.
Hilton spent the past four seasons with the Bengals before signing a one-year contract with Miami very late in training camp after the Dolphins traded cornerback Jalen Ramsey to Pittsburgh.
In 123 NFL games with the Bengals and Pittsburgh Steelers, Hilton has 520 tackles, 11.5 sacks, 13 interceptions and one touchdown.
Why Should The Bengals Sign Mike Hilton?
Aside from the familiarity — signing a player who can learn the scheme this late in the preseason is really hard — the 31-year-old showed no sign of slowing down last year, especially against the run.
Hilton had 73 tackles, tied a career high with 12 tackles for loss, had five passes defended and one interception in 16 games, and 10 starts, a season ago.
He ranked 24th among 222 cornerbacks for overall grade from Pro-Football Focus (75.8) and was No. 1 among cornerbacks for run grade (91.7), plus he is just one year removed from setting a career high in tackles (84) for the Bengals.
The Bengals ranked 19th in the NFL in rushing-yards against per game (124.8), and even though Hilton was a part of that team, bringing him back could help from a further regression.
Yet, according to Chris Roling of Bengals Wire, Hilton’s allure can be his ability to play corner and safety and provide depth at safety behind starters Jordan Battle and Geno Stone.
“Hilton, now 31, spent 2021-2024 with the Bengals, and at the tail end of his tenure, got some work at safety as he started to slow down and the Bengals went with younger prospects at corner,” Roling wrote. “It feels like an obvious thing for both sides to consider, at least.”
Daljahn Anthony and Tycen Anderson are slated to be the backup, but neither has played particularly nor has a proven history. With the Super Bowl the goal, and Cincinnati ponying up to pay All-Pro EDGE Trey Hendrickson on Monday, bringing in a friendly face that can still pay, and will come cheap, behooves everyone.
“Given the Bengals’ obvious discomfort with the safety room right now, that could mean both parties consider getting back together,” Roling wrote.
Could The Bengals Sign A Cornerback?
Making trades aren’t exactly in the Bengals’ DNA, and they had all off-season to sign Hilton to a contract and did not, even though he was one of the most talented defensive backs available.
That could speak to their reluctance to bring him back, though every team loves their roster until they see it in action.
So, even though a reunion with Hilton makes sense for both sides, there are going to be hundreds of talented players released when teams are required to get their roster down to 53 players Tuesday. It’s entirely possible a more talented DB crosses Cincinnati’s path, and it plucks him off waivers, or it prefers to sign a different defensive back ahead of Week 1.
