LAKE FOREST, Ill. — Bears running back Kyle Monangai has been an important weapon in head coach Ben Johnson’s offense.

The 5-foot-8, 207-pound rookie from Rutgers has 135 carries for 648 yards and five touchdowns this season. Despite being drafted 233rd in the seventh round, Monangai has the third-most running yards among rookie running backs. Only the Browns’ Quinshon Judkins (784) and the Raiders’ Ashton Jeanty (665) have more.

Monangai and D’Andre Swift have helped the Bears become the No. 2 rushing team in the NFL. Just the Buffalo Bills (2,051) are ahead of Johnson’s team, which has 1,984 rushing yards on the season.

One area in which Monangai has excelled this season is creating yards after contact. Per Next Gen Stats, Monangai’s 308 yards after contact since Week 9 are tied for the 10th most in the NFL during that span. The first defender rarely brings down the Bears’ young running back.

Monangai doesn’t just show up to games and magically bounce off defenders, though. He works at his craft.

“I would just say I always work balance, so contact balance is always a big thing,” Monangai told Marquee Sports Network. “Just working little mobility things, but I’m big on balance, like single-leg stuff. Putting yourself in awkward positions to get your body used to having good body control, to get yourself moving forward to maybe recover from a stumble. Things like that, just little things.”

Monangai showcased his contact balance on several runs Sunday at Lambeau Field. Watch as he breaks down his physical running style from a few snaps in the Bears’ Week 14 loss to the Packers.