From now until the 2025 NFL Draft, we will scout and create profiles for as many prospects as possible, examining their strengths, weaknesses, and what they can bring to an NFL franchise. These players could be potential top 10 picks, down to Day 3 selections, and priority undrafted free agents. Today, a scouting report on Rutgers RB Kyle Monangai.
No. 5 KYLE MONANGAI, RB, RUTGERS (R-SENIOR) – 5082, 211 POUNDS
MEASUREMENTS
| Player | Ht/Wt | Hand Size | Arm Length | Wingspan |
| Kyle Monangai | 5082/211 | 9 | 28 3/4 | 72 |
| 40-Yard Dash | 10-Yard Dash | Short Shuttle | 3-Cone | |
| 4.60 | 1.54 | N/A | N/A | |
| Broad Jump | Vertical | Bench Press | ||
| 9’9″ | 34.5 | N/A |
THE GOOD
— Great size for his height with a filled-out frame
— Runs hard behind his pads
— Displays good contact balance and will run through arm tackles
— Has impressive stop/start quickness
— Can cut on a dime to evade defenders in the hole
— Will decelerate and accelerate to throw off defenders in pursuit
— Has good burst when he hits the hole
— Displays great ball carrier vision to find the open gap
— Capable pass catcher out of the backfield
— Brings the right demeanor as a pass protector
— Looks to square up defenders and punch through their chest as a blocker
THE BAD
— Lacks ideal feature back side
— Long speed is lacking for a smaller back
— Lack of size can cause him to get tackled easily by sure tacklers
— Base gets narrow as a runner, leading to legs getting taken out from under him
— Benefitted from scheme and will have to make reads quicker in the pros
— Hasn’t produced at a high rate as a pass catcher
BIO
— Redshirt senior prospect from Roseland, NJ
— Born March 15, 2002
— Supply Chain and Marketing Science major
— Three-star recruit according to Rivals
— Older brother, Kevin, inspired him to play running back
— Does amazing freestyle dances in the locker room
— Played in five games as a true freshman before redshirting in 2020
— Played in 11 games in 2021 and had 236 yards on 62 carries with four touchdowns, caught 10 passes for 68 yards
— Started 11 of 12 games in 2022 and had 445 yards on 109 carries with two touchdowns along with six receptions for 31 yards
— Started all 13 games in 2023 and had 242 carries for 1,262 rushing yards and eight touchdowns, along with eight receptions for 78 yards
— Started 11 games in 2024 and had 256 carries for 1,279 yards and 13 touchdowns, along with 14 receptions for 75 yards and a score
— First-team All-Big Ten (2024), Second-team All-Big Ten (2023), Team Captain (2023-24), Academic All-Big Ten (2021-2023)
TAPE BREAKDOWN
Kyle Monangai is New Jersey born-and-raised and opted to stay close to home for college, committing to the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. After rising up the depth chart, Monangai enjoyed strong 2023 and 2024 campaigns, leading the Big Ten in rushing in 2023 while eclipsing 1,250+ rushing yards in back-to-back years.
When you pop in the tape on Monangai, you see an elusive runner that will shake you out of your shoes if you’re not careful. Watch him in the clips below against UCLA as Monangai finds the hole and explodes up the middle, finishing the run falling forward in the first clip. In the second clip, Monangai makes several defenders miss as he evades one defender in the hole, then cuts back to his left to have three defenders have to change their trajectory before getting caught from the side.
Monangai runs with a unique blend of strength and elusiveness in this draft class. Thanks to his compact frame, he can put his foot in the ground, cut back on a dime, and run through arm tackles. Watch Monangai in the clips below against Virginia Tech as he runs through several arm tackles and finishes the run strong, churning his legs in the first clip. In the next clips, you see Monangai’s elusiveness in making multiple defenders miss while accelerating down the field.
Even when he appears dead-to-rights, Monangai has vision and quick feet to find a way out of it. Watch this rep against Iowa, where the current Steelers DL Logan Lee is bearing down on Monangai in the backfield. Monangai manages to cut back and evade Lee as he gets back upfield, working past several other defenders to get back to the line of scrimmage on what should have been a loss on the play.
Monangai doesn’t have the best long speed as a runner, but he does build up to top speed quickly and shows great burst as he approaches the line. Watch this rep against Virginia Tech as Monangai gets to the corner and runs up the field, having just enough juice to make it past the defender in pursuit into the end zone for the score.
While being considered a smaller back, Monangai does a great job of seeking out work in pass protection. He plays with good leverage and will punch through the defender’s chest, as you can see in the clips below, keeping his head on a swivel to identify work and make the block.
CONCLUSION
Kyle Monangai is an elusive runner with the footwork to make opposing defenders look silly in space. He benefits from running in a zone scheme and will have to process faster at the next level to make a similar impact, regardless of what system he plays in. His size suggests that he would be best in a committee role where he can back up a feature back or rotate in with a bigger plodder-like runner, bringing the lightning component to the backfield.
When coming up with a pro comparison for Monangai, Bucky Irving comes to mind as a similar-sized back (Monangai is more dense) with similar athleticism and elusiveness in the open field while being able to run between the tackles. Irving broke out as a fourth-round pick this past season for Tampa Bay, and I think Monangai could have a similar impact if drafted and deployed in the right system.
Projection: Day 3
Depot Draft Grade: 7.5 – Rotational Player (4th Round)
Games Watched: vs Virginia Tech (2024), vs UCLA (2024), at Iowa (2023)
