Montgomery was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. He played high school football at nearby Mount Healthy High School in Mount Healthy, Ohio. Despite a prolific high school career, Montgomery was only recruited by Miami (OH), Ball State, Buffalo, and Iowa State. He eventually landed at Iowa State. Through three seasons in Ames, Montgomery brought in 71 receptions for 582 yards. He also rushed for 2,362 yards and 24 touchdowns over his final two seasons. Neither Montgomery’s numbers nor athleticism (4.63 40-yard dash) were world-breaking, but his College Dominator Rating (30.5-percent, 69th-percentile) and College Target Share (7.9-percent, 61st-percentile) were above average.
After his 2019 junior season, Montgomery declared for the NFL Draft. The Chicago Bears traded up to draft him in the third round with the 73rd overall pick. Montgomery’s rookie season left some to be desired. He did accumulate over 1,000 yards from scrimmage and scored seven touchdowns, but averaged just 3.7 yards per carry. Montgomery’s second season started similarly, but following the team's bye in Week 11, Montgomery rattled off 598 yards and seven touchdowns over six games while adding 24 receptions for 226 yards and an additional touchdown. The hot stretch catapulted him to an RB4 finish in 2020 and the RB9 on a per-game basis.
David Montgomery’s 2021 season was less productive, through no fault of his own. The Bears had a constant revolving door at quarterback, Montgomery himself suffered multiple injuries, the offensive line was lacking, and the coaching left something to be desired. Montgomery averaged 3.7 True Yards Per Carry (No. 66), 4.3 Yards Per Touch (No. 51), and 2.08 Yards Created Per Touch (No. 49).
Chicago declined to bring Montgomery back in 2023. The Detroit Lions signed him as a free agent and paired him with rookie first round pick Jahmyr Gibbs. Montgomery contributed right away ranking No.9 in rushing yards in the NFL and No.15 in total carries. He was a perfect complement to Gibbs and assisted the Lions in reaching the NFC Championship game.
Going into his second year with the Lions in 2024. Montgomery will once again be a huge part of the offense. The Lions will feature one of the most talented offenses in the NFL and should have no problem producing two strong fantasy running backs once again.
