🔥 HOT NEWS: Bears could add game-breaking speed without trading up ⚡.DH

Last year it was Ashton Jeanty hype. This year? It’s speed. Pure, dangerous speed.

The Chicago Bears don’t need a running back.

But after what just happened at the NFL Combine, they might seriously want one.

A year ago, some Bears fans were practically begging for Chicago to trade up for Ashton Jeanty. That never materialized — and in hindsight, it didn’t need to. Under Ben Johnson, the Bears’ rushing attack exploded from 29th in the league to third overall.

D’Andre Swift delivered 1,087 rushing yards. Rookie Kyle Monangai added 783. The offense found balance. Credit also went to Eric Bieniemy, whose influence in the running back room left a clear mark.

“We had a lot of productive conversations… I was just blown away from the impact he had,” Johnson said of Bieniemy.

Swift has received a strong public vote of confidence from GM Ryan Poles and Johnson. But that doesn’t mean Chicago ignores an opportunity.

Because there’s one trait this offense still lacks.

World-Class Speed

Ben Johnson’s Detroit offense had Jahmyr Gibbs and Jameson Williams — legitimate sub-4.4 burners who forced defenses to play scared.

Chicago has good speed.

But not that kind of speed.

No current Bears running back ran sub-4.4 at the combine. Swift clocked a 4.48 coming out — fast, but not game-breaking.

At this year’s combine, though, two names changed the conversation.

The Obvious Star: Jeremiyah Love

Notre Dame’s Jeremiyah Love ran an official 4.36-second 40, the fastest among running backs with a 90+ Next Gen Stats production score over the last decade. His 94 overall production score ties for the highest in this class.

“I can receive, I can block, I can run,” Love said confidently in Indianapolis.

He looks like a complete back — smooth in space, explosive in transition, capable of contributing in all phases.

The problem?

He’s likely gone early. Possibly top-five territory. Just like Jeanty was last year, Love is probably out of Chicago’s realistic range without a major trade-up.

Which brings us to the wildcard.

The Surprise Weapon: Mike Washington Jr.

If you blinked, you might have missed it.

Arkansas running back Mike Washington Jr. posted the fastest 40 time of any back at the combine:

4.33 seconds.

Let that sink in.

4.33.

That’s faster than Gibbs’ 4.36. Faster than Love. Faster than nearly everyone in Indy.

But here’s what makes it wild:

Washington is 6-foot-2, 225 pounds.

That’s not a finesse back. That’s straight-line power with breakaway jets.

He isn’t the polished pass-catcher Gibbs is. He hasn’t been a featured bell-cow for long. His résumé includes stops at Buffalo, New Mexico State, and Arkansas before finally posting a 1,000-yard season, averaging 6.4 yards per carry and 8.8 yards per catch.

He’s currently projected as a fourth- or fifth-round pick.

Which is exactly where Chicago could strike.

Why This Matters

The Bears have defensive needs. Cap space is limited. Free agency at running back seems unlikely.

But drafting a high-upside speed back on Day 3?

That’s strategic.

Swift is under contract this season, but adding a dynamic athlete now gives Chicago insurance — and potentially a transition plan for 2027.

Ben Johnson said it plainly at the combine:

“You can never have too much talent.”

The Bears learned that lesson on defense when injuries decimated their linebacker group last year.

Offensive depth — especially explosive depth — might be next.

They don’t need another running back.

But if there’s a 225-pound runner who clocks 4.33 and can turn a crease into six points?

That’s not luxury.

That’s leverage.

And if Chicago wants to match the speed arms race happening across the NFC, they may have just found their most intriguing weapon hiding in plain sight.