Matt Waldman’s RSP NFL Lens examines a few plays of rookie Ryan Nall, a versatile option vying for a roster spot with the Chicago Bears.

Every year, there are players who lack the draft capital for early opportunities but they have the talent to develop into role players or starters in the NFL. Before I spend my afternoon studying 2019 NFL Draft prospects, I’m sharing a few players you should be monitoring for the next year or two.

Ryan Nall is one of them. The former running back and H-Back at Oregon State has performed well during the preseason as he hopes to catch on with the Chicago Bears. He’s a nimble back with strength and receiving skill to function in a variety of roles for a team with the imagination to use him to his fullest capacity.

Even if the immediate production isn’t notable, 2018’s running back draft class is the richest collection of talent that I’ve studied. Backs like Nall, John Kelly, and Chris Warren are a trio of options (and there are more) who’ve demonstrated their value despite lacking valuable draft capital.

If Matt Nagy can deliver an imaginative option as promised, Nall could eventually develop into an active role player in multiple roles while still backing up Jordan Howard and Tarik Cohen. If there’s not enough room to keep him due to other positional needs, expect another team to grab during the first week of September and sign him to a futures contract, if not the active roster.

Although it can be tiresome to read about players who could possibly reprise the Aaron Hernandez role in New England, Nall fits the profile of an option who could develop into some variation of that idea if he’s not used strictly as a running back. Wherever he lands, Nall is an option worth monitoring in 2018 and 2019 to see where he lands and how he progresses as a professional.

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