Chicago Bears’ best running back option not named Ashton Jeanty revealed

Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty has been consistently linked to the Chicago Bears with the No. 10 overall pick in next month’s NFL Draft, but he isn’t the only playmaker who could fill one of the franchise’s biggest needs.

Suppose general manager Ryan Poles and the Bears invest their first-round pick in a player with significantly more positional value- such as one of the top edge rushers, offensive tackles, or defensive backs. In that case, that doesn’t mean Chicago won’t be able to add a playmaker to drop into the backfield alongside quarterback Caleb Williams.

It’s easy to see why Jeanty might rank near the top of the Bears’ draft board, after all, the explosive 5-foot-9 and 215-pound running back averaged seven yards per carry while rushing for 2,601 yards and 29 touchdowns last season.

However, there could be impact running backs to be found much later in this class, which would allow the Bears to plug some more impactful holes in the early rounds.

Chicago Bears’ top running back fit not named Ashton Jeanty

Pro Football Focus’ Jordan Plocher put together a list of each team’s top target to fill their biggest remaining need after free agency, including the ideal first-round fit and top potential Day 3 target. For the Bears, Plocher lists Jeanty as the Bears’ best fit at running back, with Viriginia Tech’s Bhayshul Tuten as Chicago’s perfect Day 3 fit.

“Bhayshul Tuten offers explosive speed,” Plocher writes for PFF. “He earned an 80.7 rushing grade in 2024 and ran a blazing 4.32 40-yard dash at the combine, the fastest among all running backs.”

Tuten, 5-foot-11 and 209 pounds, is one of the more unheralded running back prospects in this year’s class but is the caliber of player who underscores what makes this such a deep class at the position.

Last season, Tuten rushed for 1,159 yards and 15 touchdowns, while averaging a whopping 6.3 yards per carry.

Meanwhile, Pro Football Focus points out that not only did Tuten average an elite 4.4 yards after contact per carry last season, but his 62 forced missed tackles rank 23rd among college running backs and his 21 explosive runs of 10 yards or more were 15th in the nation.

If the Bears wind up keeping D’Andre Swift, Tuten has the profile of a back capable of taking on a similar role to how head coach Ben Johnson deployed Jahmyr Gibbs alongside David Montgomery as Lions offensive coordinator.