Davis Mattek said the Bears’ decision to sit out the first two days of the draft at running back—despite owning ten picks—was a massive vote of confidence in D'Andre Swift. Chicago ultimately added only a late-round rookie, leaving Swift and Roschon Johnson untouched atop the depth chart. Mattek likened the setup to last year’s Gibbs/Montgomery tandem, contending Swift can own the explosive, high-value touches while still getting red-zone work because the room is so thin. He bumped Swift several rounds up his Best Ball rankings, stressing that free agents like J.K. Dobbins or Nick Chubb can sign with only one team, so the odds of real post-draft competition landing in Chicago are slim. With Caleb Williams expected to spark the offense, Mattek views Swift as an under-priced RB1/RB2 you should aggressively target around pick 80 before the market corrects.

Adam Levitan called Chicago’s draft a massive vote of confidence in DeAndre Swift. The Bears waited until pick 233 to select a running back (Kyle Monangai) after reportedly being ‘sniped’ on several Day-2 targets, signaling they view Swift as their unquestioned lead. Levitan reminded listeners that Ben Johnson’s Lions backs averaged 27 touches per game and combined for 22 touchdowns in 2023. Chicago also fortified the offensive line by trading for Jonah Jackson and drafting 6'8 swing tackle Ozzy Trapil, then added vertical threats Colston Loveland and Luther Burden to keep boxes light for the run game. With no real competition besides Khalil Herbert and Roschon Johnson, Levitan projected 15-17 touches weekly for Swift and urged best-ball drafters to grab him before his ADP climbs into Round 4.

Monson warned fantasy drafters that Ben Johnson has never viewed Swift as a workhorse, pointing to Johnson’s first move in Detroit—slashing Swift’s touches before eventually shipping him out. With Chicago bypassing premium backs like Ashton Jeanty and TreVeyon Henderson, Monson believes the front office is signaling that Swift is a bridge option until they trade for (or sign) a sturdier runner such as Rhamondre Stevenson. He expects Swift to reprise a change-of-pace, passing-down role while Roschon Johnson, seventh-round rookie Kyle Monangai, or an incoming veteran handle early-down and goal-line work. The takeaway: fade Swift at his current ADP in season-long leagues and be cautious assigning him bell-cow projections in best ball builds.