The final two picks in the 2025 NFL Draft have been made by the Chicago Bears and they made sure to focus on offense from the Big Ten. With pick No. 195 in the sixth round, the Bears selected offensive lineman Luke Newman, and with pick No. 233, they took running back Kyle Monangai.
Newman has played both tackle and guard in college with two different schools. He began with Holy Cross and after four years, transferred to Michigan State for the 2024 season. It was there he stood out as a guard and faced tough competition in the Big Ten such as Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant at Michigan.
Monangai, meanwhile, was a productive running back for Rutgers over the last two seasons. In 2023, Monangai led the Big Ten in rushing with 1,262 yards and eight touchdowns. He had similar production in 2024, rushing for 1,279 yards and 13 scores, but finished behind Iowa’s Kaleb Johnson for the most yards in the conference.
With the Bears draft finally complete, here are our initial grades for the final two selections:
Luke Newman: C
This feels like the Doug Kramer pick from three years ago if Kramer showed promise of playing multiple positions in college and was a little bigger. Having that type of versatility on the offensive line is key, and it’s fair to wonder where the Bears might want to put Newman. They could keep him at guard or work him in as a backup center behind Drew Dalman. Interestingly enough, that would put Kramer’s job in jeopardy.
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Newman showed he can hold his own against top competition. He’s going to be facing more Grahams and Grants at the NFL level. He is very athletic, keeps his pads low, and could surprise as a depth player.
Kyle Monangai: B
General manager Ryan Poles waited until the seventh round to select a running back in one of the deepest classes in recent memory. While it would have been nice if the Bears had nabbed one of the Day 2 or even early Day 3 running backs, Monangai at least has shown plenty of production and can earn the chance of becoming the thunder to D’Andre Swift’s lightning.
Monangai’s production was consistent while at Rutgers, averaging 5.0 and 5.2 yards per carry in 2023 and 2024, respectively. He also has never lost a fumble, which is arguably his best trait coming into the NFL. We’ll see where he winds up on the depth chart and if the Bears opt to add another veteran at some point, but Monangai has a chance to show something in a fairly thin running back room. It’s not the pick Bears fans were hoping to see at running back when the draft started, but it’s something.
