One day after concluding their offseason program with a third and final minicamp practice, the Bears on Friday signed third-round draft pick David Montgomery to a four-year contract.
The Bears traded up 14 spots to select Montgomery with the 87th overall choice out of Iowa State. The 5-10, 222-pounder declared for the draft following his junior season. He played in 37 games the past three seasons with the Cyclones, rushing for 2,925 yards and 26 touchdowns on 624 carries and catching 71 passes for 582 yards. Last year he appeared in 12 games, rushing for a career-high 1,216 yards and 13 TDs on 257 attempts and had 22 receptions for 157 yards.
According to Pro Football Focus, Montgomery led all of college football in forced missed tackles each of the past two years with 109 in 2017 and 100 in 2018.
"David Montgomery breaks a ton of tackles," general manager Ryan Pace said after the draft. "There are guys bouncing off him left and right. A lot of guys can break tackles, but then they'll lose their balance. He has the ability to break tackles and keep his feet continue for positive yards."
Montgomery ranks third in Iowa State history with 15 100-yard rushing games; sixth with 2,925 rushing yards and 3,507 all-purpose yards; and eighth with 26 rushing touchdowns. His 71 receptions are the fifth most all-time by a Cyclones running back.
Montgomery impressed the Bears with his versatility during offseason workouts, excelling as a ballcarrier and receiver. He'll be part of a revamped backfield that also includes third-year pro Tarik Cohen and veteran free-agent acquisition Mike Davis.
The Bears now have four of their five draft picks under contract, with Montgomery joining fourth-round receiver Riley Ridley, seventh-round running back Kerrith Whyte Jr. and seventh-round cornerback Stephen Denmark. The only unsigned pick is fourth-round nickel back Duke Shelley.
