The Chicago Bears are set to face a rookie who was linked to them often in the pre-draft process, matching up against the Las Vegas Raiders and running back Ashton Jeanty.

Throughout the offseason, while the Bears focused on upgrading the offensive and defensive lines, many speculated that they’d be in play for drafting Jeanty in the first round of this year’s draft.

Ultimately, the Raiders selected Jeanty out of Boise State with the sixth overall pick, leaving the Bears no chance at selecting him, and they did not draft a running back until selecting Kyle Monangai in the seventh round. Instead of addressing their backfield early, the Bears opted to select tight end Colston Loveland with the 10th overall pick, four selections after Jeanty was taken by Las Vegas.

Recently, Bears head coach Ben Johnson spoke about Jeanty, labeling the 21-year old running back as a “phenomenal” player and praising his talent.

“He’s a phenomenal player,” Johnson said. “I thought the world of him. He’s a hard guy to bring down, compact yet powerful. You better have low pad level when you’re looking to tackle this guy or else he’s going to lower his shoulder and run you over. He’s got that mentality, he brought it with him from college. You see it in the first three games of the season so far. He’s fearless, he sees a little bit of air, he steps on the gas, and he plays violently. So he’s a guy we’re certainly aware of and we’ve got to do the best we can to bottle him up.”

Recognizing Jeanty’s talent, Johnson knows his defense is up for a tough assignment in going up against the explosive running back. Johnson also sounds like he was enamored with Jeanty prior to this year’s draft, but the Raiders nixed any possibility of the two sides coming together as part of the Bears.

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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears HC Ben Johnson shares thoughts on Raiders RB Ashton Jeanty