Mid-Round Bears Pick Already Definitively a Draft-Day Steal

The Bears seem to have stumbled onto another draft-day treasure with fourth-round punter Tory Taylor, who dominated in Chicago's third preseason game on Saturday.

Considered a reach at the time, Taylor has quickly proven his doubters wrong and appears to be one of the NFL's best punters from day one. With Caleb Williams' inevitable rise on a much-improved offense, Taylor serves as the backup plan to flip the field in the rare situation that the Bears don't deliver offensively.

For a fourth-round pick that was ridiculed, that's a lovely compensatory prize.

Bears Rookie P Tory Taylor Dominates Once Again

A unanimous All-American and the recipient of the Ray Guy Award recognizing the nation's best punter, Taylor grew a steady fanbase in 2023 with dynamic kicks that look exceptional for most, yet routine for the former Hawkeye.

During his career, Taylor averaged 46.3 yards per punt and set an 85-year-old NCAA record with 4,479 punt yards last season. If there was ever a punter to spend a mid-round draft pick on, he's the one.

It's appropriate then, that Taylor has exceeded expectations. He raised his game in big moments, notably averaging 52.3 yards per punt on seven kicks against top-10 Penn State. For a Bears team with Super Bowl aspirations, he's the exact kind of positional advantage that could mean the difference down the stretch.

Bears fans already know that Williams is a budding superstar, though Taylor might be next in line. If he keeps this up, expect to see punter jerseys across Chicago for the first time in the city's history.

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