The Chicago Bears grabbed headlines by drafting Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze, but they also picked up a heck of a punter in Tory Taylor.
The Bears selected Taylor in the fourth round of the NFL Draft, which is a strangely high selection for a punter. That tells you just how enamored Chicago was with the University of Iowa product.
An NFL scout tells the NFL Analysis Network that Taylor is definitely going to be successful on the professional level and even provided an intriguing comparison for the incoming rookie.
“This kid is an absolute monster,” the scout said. “My comparison for him is former Colts’ great Pat McAfee. He’s got a huge leg and he’s going to elevate that Chicago special teams unit in a big way.”
Laugh all you want, but special teams is an incredibly important part of this game, and a great punter can pay significant dividends.
Taylor averaged 48.3 yards per punt this past season and won the Ray Guy award for the nation’s top punter. He also set the NCAA record for single-season punting yardage with 4,479 yards and was named a First-Team All-American.
Throughout his four-year career with the Hawkeyes, Taylor logged 46.3 yards per boot.
The Bears went 7-10 this past season, going a very respectable 7-6 over their final 13 games. They have made some big changes over the last couple of months, trading away quarterback Justin Fields and acquiring key offensive pieces like wide receiver Keenan Allen and running back D’Andre Swift.
Of course, Chicago’s most notable offseason move has been selecting Williams with the No. 1 overall pick. Williams is expected to step in as the Bears’ starter under center right off the bat in 2024.
The same can be said for Tory Taylor, who will almost certainly be Chicago’s starting punter come September.
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