The Chicago Bears might have missed out on the top-flight running backs in the 2025 NFL draft class, but that hasn’t curbed their interest in rookie rushers.
On Thursday, the Bears formally signed former Texas State and UTEP running back Deion Hankins as an undrafted free agent after agreeing to terms with him after the draft. He is one of 10 undrafted rookies they added to their 90-man offseason roster.
The 5-foot-11, 222-pound Hankins played for six seasons in college, spending his first five at UTEP before transferring to Texas State for his final year of eligibility in 2024. He bruised his way to 2,876 career rushing yards and 25 touchdowns between his two stops, working as a between-the-tackles power back with a 4.7 yards-per-carry average.
Hankins is the second rookie running back the Bears have added to their 2025 roster after seventh-round pick Kyle Monangai officially signed his four-year rookie contract on Thursday. The pair of them will now vie for 53-man roster spots in a backfield that includes starter D’Andre Swift, Roschon Johnson, Travis Homer and Ian Wheeler.
Deion Hankins Faces Uphill Battle to Make Bears’ Roster
Hankins is an intriguing fit for the Bears. His physical profile as a bruiser would work nicely as a complement to Swift if he could quickly find his step at the NFL level. He is also more experienced than the average rookie, given how long he played in college.
Even still, Hankins will face an uphill battle trying to make the Bears’ 53-man roster despite how inexperienced they are at the running back position behind Swift.
When it comes to the power-back role, Johnson is likely to get the first look from the new coaching staff. He scored a career-high six touchdowns as the short-yardage and goal-line rusher in 2024. He has also demonstrated that he is a capable pass-catcher by hauling in 50 receptions on 60 targets (83.3%) over his first two seasons in Chicago.
The Bears also have more invested in both Homer and Monangai than Hankins. While they re-signed Homer this offseason because of his special-teams value, the new staff will want to see if he can bring them more on offense before giving him a roster spot. Meanwhile, Monangai achieved more than Hankins in college against tougher foes.
Hankins will have his first opportunity to impress the Bears’ new coaching staff this weekend when the team holds its three-day rookie minicamp from May 9 to May 11.
Could Bears Add Another Veteran RB After Minicamps?
The Bears will get their first chance to evaluate their young talent on the practice field this weekend when they host their rookies — and several other first- and second-year players — for their three-day minicamp. They will also hold 10 voluntary OTA practices later this month before their mandatory veteran minicamp from June 3 to June 5.
During that time, head coach Ben Johnson and running backs coach Eric Bienemy will have ample opportunity to evaluate the strength of their backfield. But if they come out of June’s minicamp feeling like they could use more, could they sign another veteran?
There has been buzz about the Bears having an interest in former Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb in the weeks since the NFL draft. Others have also linked the team to free-agent veteran J.K. Dobbins, who sits with Chubb at the top of the market. Either one could offer an upgrade, but the Bears need to decide if it is necessary first.
The Bears’ evaluations of Johnson and Monangai over the next several weeks should play a critical role in helping them decide whether to revisit the free-agent market.
If the new coaches feel they can get more out of Johnson (a 2023 fourth-round pick that Matt Eberflus’ staff couldn’t seem to figure out how to use) and Monangai shows them enough potential to validate their decision to draft him, they may feel comfortable to stay the course with their current personnel — at least until training camp in late July.
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