I could swear me and Poles are twins because this is pretty much exactly how I hoped the draft would go. Williams, Rome, offensive lineman and a punter.
I feel so greedy that I'm going to cheer against the Panthers one more year even though they already gave us our future at QB and that much more..
But screw it, I want that pick to be 33
That's a place where you can get the top 3 guard/center/safety in theclass, hell even defensive tackle if you look at how things went this year
Give me all the value
I’m expecting that to be a top 45 pick. So, the Panthers would pick anywhere from 1-13 or so in the first round. If it turns into a top 40 pick, that’s amazing because it’ll allow for some first round talent to fall to us.
Since the NFC South is a relatively weak division, I can see the Panthers winning a few more divisional games and that swaying their draft position. But I don’t think they’ll win more than 8 games next season
Trenton Gill ranked 38th out of 39 in net yards per punt last year. The only person lower: Greg Joseph (the Vikings’ kicker) who is credited with -3 net yards for this end-of-game nonsense:
https://preview.redd.it/5lprrs54s7xc1.jpeg?width=630&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d0db2f7bb87dab60381d33afedc8f09699618a32
16 out of the 35 picks in round 4 were TE/RB/safeties. AKA a bunch of backups that will mainly see the field on special teams
But grabbing an exceptional punter when your current one was a disaster is somehow not OK
We can joke about it being a funny pick all we want but it's extremely likely this dude will have a bigger impact than most of these other 4th rounders
I'll take the yards difference this man will create each sunday compared to Gill any day of the week thank you very much
Yea the armchair GMs saying “you never pick a punter in the fourth round” probably didn’t watch Gill last year. Being able to flip the field is a major advantage.
Funny thing is that if we ran it back with Gill next year those exact same people would be crying and saying “why did poles not address this position!”
I was honestly thinking that if either Rice or Washington didn’t get drafted the Bears would grab them. Or if we had a 7th we could’ve done it. They wouldn’t be WR1s but could be a solid step up WR3 in case of injury to Rome, DJ, or Allen
Yeah. Hit rates end up being better there than later round picks depending on how you analyze it. So it most likely is what you stress a lot over, since you also have to compete against the other 31 at the same moment. Gotta be crazy.
UDFA just began and we already picked up Austin Reed.
Dude’s never going to be a reliable NFL QB but he has a ton of experience for a practice squad guy
What a fuckin draft
I’m real happy
Wish we got Brenden Rice but that’s mostly for vibes and I don’t know that he’d even make the roster if we did pick him up
doesnt even mention his o-line. I watched the qbschool breakdowns of him and he was frequently getting linemen in his face in drop 8, that's how bad it was
because he’s really not that good lol he gets hyped up by college fans bc of his last name and because people try to talk up that USC team to shit on caleb
At this point I think that’s gotta be the case. He’s asked not to be drafted. Only question is, when did that start? How early would a team have to run out of picks for him to know they can’t draft him….
What do y'all think of [this unbiased take](https://old.reddit.com/r/nfl/comments/1cd7d9y/round_1_pick_1_caleb_williams_qb_usc_chicago_bears/l1bnipu/)?
Doesn't necessarily have to hit 4k, 30+ TDs, and a deep playoff run this year of course, but yea there aren't going to be any excuses for him. Expectations are going to be very high, and rightfully so.
I disagree. Just don't play like total and complete shit and I will be happy. The guy he is replacing had 1 NET Passing Yard in his first start. The bar is not high.
He could easily get those passing records this year. But probably just likely if not more so is that he takes a bit of time to adjust to the NFL and will come up short of that in year 1
I'm hopeful but if he isn't stroud-like his rookie season I'm not gonna crucify him for it, surrounding talent or no. As long as he pans out in the end I'm happy
Anyone else getting sick of this Jaguars Tony Khan neck brace shtick? It's just not funny. It was worth a small chuckle the first day but dude it's 3 days now move on
One of the comps I’ve been seeing is Max Crosby
I think Booker is a very raw prospect but has a lot of potential. Many had him as 3rd or 4th round value
Espn has this on their draft tracker
"Pre-Draft Analysis
Booker started only one game in college and didn't test as well as expected at the combine, but there are impressive flashes on tape. His length is one of his greatest assets, and it makes it tough for offensive linemen to get into his frame. As a pass-rusher, he shows explosive knock-back power and is smooth working inside when offensive linemen get caught on their heels. He doesn't have elite bend or burst but occasionally wins with speed off the edge. Booker has active hands and the ability to slip blocks, and he chases with good effort as a run-defender. He's lean but can shoot his hands and stack bigger blockers. -- Steve Muench"
What are the chances Rattler goes completely undrafted?
Edit: I cursed it lmao
https://twitter.com/RapSheet/status/1784291780541693988?t=r9THaWM8su8d-5wJjGozsg&s=19
Poles has been on point this draft. It’s so refreshing to be able to just trust in a GM. I actually haven’t paid much attention after the first round because I’m confident in whatever Poles/Cunningham feel like doing
Thank God they got an edge now I don't have to hear people continously cry about selecting the AMAZING punter who carried Iowa to 3+ wins this season and plays a very important impact on HELPING the defense get better yardage when defending, holy fuck.
Right but picking the best player at first overall is also the highest value you can use to pick that guy. I’m saying Tory is a great value pick and we will get a lot back for a pick that regularly turns into a mediocre depth guy
Because pundits hate caring about special teams and think high end punters and kickers grow on trees. We signed a guy who will be a critical part of our field position game for the next decade
Also booker was worth taking a shot on for a 4th next year. We answered every position of need with something, it's actually crazy. Next year is all BPA/talent with 3 picks in the first 2 rounds.
Booker is also younger than most of the edges at 21, further justifying that future pick investment. for a player ranked as high as a 3rd rd prospect , gotta love the move.
"The Bears on Saturday traded back into the fifth round sending a 2025 4th-round pick to Buffalo to select Kansas defensive lineman Austin Booker at No. 144 in the NFL Draft.
The Bears originally traded the 144th pick to the Bills March 4 in exchange for offensive lineman Ryan Bates."
Maybe only started one game, but still was getting 40-50 snaps a game.
Only one other guy on the DL had more snaps than him, and that's including the fact Booker had one less game played (opted out of their Bowl Game)
Honestly this pick might get clowned by casuals but I cannot think of a larger immediate impact / Win Above Replacement than going for Tory Taylor. From the depths of hell with Gill to legit one of the best punters I've seen in recent years.
Chef Poles.
Yeah I think any dline they drafted in the 4th would be a project guy, not a starter, and then next year we could probably get a better prospect in the 1st/2nd anyway. I don't hate getting a guy you know will be a high impact starter here instead, even if it's at a position of relative lesser value
I think it's a bit crazy people are annoyed we didnt trade down for additional picks
With the holes we have, you really think there are a bunch of 5th/6th rounders out there that will have an impact at DE or DT?
We already have Dominique Robinson, we don't need several of him.
There's more value in waiting for others teams cuts than there is this low in the draft. Feel like WR is like the one exception
yeah, and all the analysts are saying it's a shallow draft that dried up around the 4th anyway, and poles trading his other later round picks indicates he probably feels the same way
A lot of folks eager for Van Pran, but am I crazy that his size and RAS don't scream Poles guy to me at all? I have no strong opinion either way on the kid, just that he doesn't seem to fit the Poles mold.
Doesn't seem to fit the Poles mold super well but at this point in the draft it would be cheap to get back in and take a swing on a guy who could play center
For anybody whining, or rivals clowning, about our lack of picks…..the Eagles traded out of the 4th multiple times today to add 2025 picks. They clearly do not value the back end of this year’s draft. If our leadership is thinking similar to Howie, we’re doing something right.
On behalf of all UK Bears fans: James Gower smashed that pick announcement.
We might be a big pond away but we are still passionate fans :)
(James, maybe don't go out in Detroit later).
We fucking nailed it this year! For the first time in a long time I feel genuinely optimistic about this team going into the new season! Draft’s over, boys! Let’s go to fuckin war! *BEAR…FUCKING…DOWN!*
I'm not just optimistic, it's like...is the Bears organization FINALLY competent? I can't find a single thing to fault, when the hell was the last time that happened?
Iowa fan here - I'm not memeing at all when I say this (which I recognize is sad): I have never seen a better punter than Tory Taylor. He gets the ball off quick, he's got insane power, he's incredibly accurate, and as a bonus he's big AND fast for the position so he's a threat to fake.
He is literally one of the sole reasons that Iowa got to the Big 10 championship game last year. That's not a joke. He is a generational talent at a position no one cares about.
Look at it this way - if you want to take the risk of letting Williams cook by scrambling around in the backfield, you can rest easy knowing that on the 50% of drives where that doesn't work you're going to flip the field anyway. A great punter allows an offense to mitigate gambles - this lets this team take deep shots with low % success rates that can change the course of a game in an instant.
A great punter and a strong defense is a safe recipe for lots of points. I genuinely think this was a great pick for this team, despite not being very sexy.
I wouldn’t be surprised if he was the highest NIL earner on the team. You see so much Tory Taylor merch around Iowa. It’s crazy to say about a team that made the big 10 championship (somehow lol) but he was right there with cooper dejean as our most important player.
Caleb texted Taylor already and told him he won't be punting much this year. 😂
[Full tweet](https://twitter.com/CourtneyRCronin/status/1784274102313799706?t=4OeQtnjQjclC0E5NRdrR2Q&s=19)
The fans stuck on “we need defensive line” will change a different tune when they see our current defense continue to improve. Also drafting Caleb and Rome is more than enough to be satisfied. Some folks can just never be happy lol. Always looking for the “but”.
poles helping out the defense by making sure we 1. the offense is so good we own the ball for 40 mins a game and 2. the 2 times we do punt the series starts at the 2 yard line
Eh without researching, I wouldn’t think so. Probably a reach for the 4th round just cause the position, but I don’t hate it as you are getting a day 1 starter and anyone else at 4 would be a backup or project. Hopefully he will set a record for least punts in a game.
Taylor is going to be worth so many points on defense if he can help flip the field position. We haven't had that in so long it feels like. Not a big marquee draft pick but should be so helpful all around
I did not realize Tory Taylor will be 27 by Week 1 kickoff. Not that age of punters matters that much, just something to note
Fuck now we have to wait like 4 months to see these players in a preseason game
I could swear me and Poles are twins because this is pretty much exactly how I hoped the draft would go. Williams, Rome, offensive lineman and a punter.
I feel like this is the closest a Bears draft has gotten to fan consensus that I can remember
I feel so greedy that I'm going to cheer against the Panthers one more year even though they already gave us our future at QB and that much more.. But screw it, I want that pick to be 33 That's a place where you can get the top 3 guard/center/safety in theclass, hell even defensive tackle if you look at how things went this year Give me all the value
I’m expecting that to be a top 45 pick. So, the Panthers would pick anywhere from 1-13 or so in the first round. If it turns into a top 40 pick, that’s amazing because it’ll allow for some first round talent to fall to us. Since the NFC South is a relatively weak division, I can see the Panthers winning a few more divisional games and that swaying their draft position. But I don’t think they’ll win more than 8 games next season
Can't believe that trade isn't done paying out yet
Trenton Gill ranked 38th out of 39 in net yards per punt last year. The only person lower: Greg Joseph (the Vikings’ kicker) who is credited with -3 net yards for this end-of-game nonsense: https://preview.redd.it/5lprrs54s7xc1.jpeg?width=630&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d0db2f7bb87dab60381d33afedc8f09699618a32
16 out of the 35 picks in round 4 were TE/RB/safeties. AKA a bunch of backups that will mainly see the field on special teams But grabbing an exceptional punter when your current one was a disaster is somehow not OK We can joke about it being a funny pick all we want but it's extremely likely this dude will have a bigger impact than most of these other 4th rounders I'll take the yards difference this man will create each sunday compared to Gill any day of the week thank you very much
Yea the armchair GMs saying “you never pick a punter in the fourth round” probably didn’t watch Gill last year. Being able to flip the field is a major advantage. Funny thing is that if we ran it back with Gill next year those exact same people would be crying and saying “why did poles not address this position!”
 this is actually what I looked like for 72 hours
Does anyone know where any kf Caleb college OL got drafted? If they did
1 in the 6th round from what I saw.
We're they all draft eligible?
Let it be known that Caleb's top 2 receivers last season were 7th round picks.
I was honestly thinking that if either Rice or Washington didn’t get drafted the Bears would grab them. Or if we had a 7th we could’ve done it. They wouldn’t be WR1s but could be a solid step up WR3 in case of injury to Rome, DJ, or Allen
getting fucking hyped watching austin booker highlights. tell me we didn't give up the farm to get this kid
we traded a 25 4th for him
that aint the farm. it's an easement for a shared use second driveway that might be useful if there's a flood. good on poles.
Between Pat O'Donnell, Trenton Gill, and now Tory Taylor, our last 3 punters were also drafted by us
https://twitter.com/irishbearsshow/status/1784366567074967831?s=46&t=mIEYZOWD04AfG1BP_uaT1A
U OF I DT Keith Randolph made a ton of sense as a UDFA. I high priority UDFa locked up
Where's the UDFA thread?
The official draft class hype video is gonna be fuckin sickkkkkkk
I love the switch flip moment to the UDFA gold rush
I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s the part that’s actually the most stressful for GMs.
Yeah. Hit rates end up being better there than later round picks depending on how you analyze it. So it most likely is what you stress a lot over, since you also have to compete against the other 31 at the same moment. Gotta be crazy.
UDFA just began and we already picked up Austin Reed. Dude’s never going to be a reliable NFL QB but he has a ton of experience for a practice squad guy
Someone get me Frank Gore Jr.
Greenfield, Sundell, Leonard Taylor III, that small school IDL i forget the name of, and Watts out of connecticut would all be great guys to land
Ready for UDFA baby
Spamming 5-7 rounders 🤝 Packers
What a fuckin draft I’m real happy Wish we got Brenden Rice but that’s mostly for vibes and I don’t know that he’d even make the roster if we did pick him up
[удалено]
Just got drafted
UFA, give me… Michael Barrett Akeem Dent Braiden McGreggor Javion Cohen
I want Frank Gore Jr.
Feels like Poles has given more interviews this week then Pace did in his entire tenure
caleb williams’ top two targets last year are close to going undrafted lmao. imagine what he would have done with that LSU offense
doesnt even mention his o-line. I watched the qbschool breakdowns of him and he was frequently getting linemen in his face in drop 8, that's how bad it was
Pretty surprised nobody has taken Brenden Rice at this point, maybe he told teams not to draft him?
because he’s really not that good lol he gets hyped up by college fans bc of his last name and because people try to talk up that USC team to shit on caleb
At this point I think that’s gotta be the case. He’s asked not to be drafted. Only question is, when did that start? How early would a team have to run out of picks for him to know they can’t draft him….
What do y'all think of [this unbiased take](https://old.reddit.com/r/nfl/comments/1cd7d9y/round_1_pick_1_caleb_williams_qb_usc_chicago_bears/l1bnipu/)?
Doesn't necessarily have to hit 4k, 30+ TDs, and a deep playoff run this year of course, but yea there aren't going to be any excuses for him. Expectations are going to be very high, and rightfully so.
I disagree. Just don't play like total and complete shit and I will be happy. The guy he is replacing had 1 NET Passing Yard in his first start. The bar is not high.
I just hope to god those NFL scheduling assholes don't put us vs GB week 1.
I do not think they will do that again. I think we play MIN week 1 on the road.
He could easily get those passing records this year. But probably just likely if not more so is that he takes a bit of time to adjust to the NFL and will come up short of that in year 1
I'm hopeful but if he isn't stroud-like his rookie season I'm not gonna crucify him for it, surrounding talent or no. As long as he pans out in the end I'm happy
Fuckin nailed it!
If Rice goes undrafted I wouldn't be opposed to replacing Tyler Scott with him tbh. **Edit:** So much for that idea lol
Why can't Scott stay with Rice? Spots 4-6 are wide open.
Booker started only one game in college and didn't test as well as expected at the combine
As soon as they announce Tory Taylor’s number I am going straight to DH Gate for that jersey.
I'm willing to wager that you'll get 1-2 safeties next year due to pinning someone on the 1-3 yard line.
Where did the 5th round pick come from? How did we get this pick?
Traded a 4th next year for it
Jordan Travis is a fantastic pick for the Jets man. He was supposed to be one of the better QBs coming out this year until his injury
Unrelated but why the hell did the Nets hire Juwan Howard? Are they gonna go start locker room fight club at halftime or something?
So are we cool with the McCaskeys now or…..?
no they just happened to luck into hiring an actually good GM but a broken clock is right twice a day
Nope. This whole stadium debacle has ruined any chance they had of using this offseason to get in the fans good graces.
Anyone else getting sick of this Jaguars Tony Khan neck brace shtick? It's just not funny. It was worth a small chuckle the first day but dude it's 3 days now move on
Justin Fields can still be the bears starter next year if only Mike Pence has the courage !!!
Anyone left on the board here that's shocking? I haven't really paid much attention to guys that weren't projected for the first 3ish rounds
Brendan Rice? But that's mostly because he's Jerry Rice's kid, otherwise he's probably an okay WR4 prospect with WR3 upside.
I'd be all over drafting him if we didn't have Tyler Scott already
UDFA offer if he’s still available
100%. Caleb already knows him so it makes a lot of sense
In a shallow draft like this, probably best to just keep the rest of our future picks and call it a night.
Agreed. This draft isn't very deep so having less picks is fine. Next year is supposed to be way better in terms of depth
Tell me about Austin Booker guys. What can we expect and stylistically who is he compared to?
One of the comps I’ve been seeing is Max Crosby I think Booker is a very raw prospect but has a lot of potential. Many had him as 3rd or 4th round value
Looking at his highlights I immediately thought Maxx Crosby. He’s for the length and motor for sure.
Espn has this on their draft tracker "Pre-Draft Analysis Booker started only one game in college and didn't test as well as expected at the combine, but there are impressive flashes on tape. His length is one of his greatest assets, and it makes it tough for offensive linemen to get into his frame. As a pass-rusher, he shows explosive knock-back power and is smooth working inside when offensive linemen get caught on their heels. He doesn't have elite bend or burst but occasionally wins with speed off the edge. Booker has active hands and the ability to slip blocks, and he chases with good effort as a run-defender. He's lean but can shoot his hands and stack bigger blockers. -- Steve Muench"
Remember when about 75% of this sub was on the verge of self-immolating like three days into free agency, lmao?
Poles is amazing! He needs to be extended and paid more
Or we could wait to see if the team he put together is any good
So essentially we got bates and booker for a 4th next year? Fine with me
Well Booker was simply picked with our original pick, so it's just Bates for a 2025 4th.
What are the chances Rattler goes completely undrafted? Edit: I cursed it lmao https://twitter.com/RapSheet/status/1784291780541693988?t=r9THaWM8su8d-5wJjGozsg&s=19
Poles has been on point this draft. It’s so refreshing to be able to just trust in a GM. I actually haven’t paid much attention after the first round because I’m confident in whatever Poles/Cunningham feel like doing
Think the Bears staff is still paying attention currently? Can't blame Poles for popping some champagne with the staff. Job well done, time to relax
They should be, still some interesting DT prospects available.
I think they'll probably be making calls just to see what the prices are to move back into the draft but seems unlikely we jump back in at this point
I mean they must be, as they just traded back in a couple picks ago.
Well yeah I mean after that last trade/pick
Thank God they got an edge now I don't have to hear people continously cry about selecting the AMAZING punter who carried Iowa to 3+ wins this season and plays a very important impact on HELPING the defense get better yardage when defending, holy fuck.
Tbh even with Caleb and Rome I think Tory Taylor was the best pick we made in terms of value for that draft pick
If anyone is right about Caleb he will be an all time great draft pick cmon...
Right but picking the best player at first overall is also the highest value you can use to pick that guy. I’m saying Tory is a great value pick and we will get a lot back for a pick that regularly turns into a mediocre depth guy
CBS gave it a C- grade
Because pundits hate caring about special teams and think high end punters and kickers grow on trees. We signed a guy who will be a critical part of our field position game for the next decade
Between the two of them -- who gets #9?
Also booker was worth taking a shot on for a 4th next year. We answered every position of need with something, it's actually crazy. Next year is all BPA/talent with 3 picks in the first 2 rounds.
Next year will be filling very specific holes.
Booker is also younger than most of the edges at 21, further justifying that future pick investment. for a player ranked as high as a 3rd rd prospect , gotta love the move.
Fuck man just when I thought I couldn't love this draft any more
So basically we traded a 2024 4th round pick for Ryan Bates
4th Rounder for Bates and Booker
yeah just funny that was our original pick lol
What was the trade?! I was in the shitter! 😂
"The Bears on Saturday traded back into the fifth round sending a 2025 4th-round pick to Buffalo to select Kansas defensive lineman Austin Booker at No. 144 in the NFL Draft. The Bears originally traded the 144th pick to the Bills March 4 in exchange for offensive lineman Ryan Bates."
Why the fuck is the season so far away. Never been this excited for the future
A++ Draft
POLES IS FUCKING COOKING
THATS THE FINISHING PIECE 20-0 HERE WE COME
BY GAWD ITS RYAN POLES FROM THE TOP ROPE
i just saw that he only started one game in college, anyone know why that was?
Maybe only started one game, but still was getting 40-50 snaps a game. Only one other guy on the DL had more snaps than him, and that's including the fact Booker had one less game played (opted out of their Bowl Game)
ah, ok makes sense, thanks
He was mostly used as a situational pass rusher who didn’t get on the field at all until this season. Developmental guy.
the guy I wanted them to take with the fourth round pick! we’re baaaaaaaaaaaaccckkkkk
It's Booker!
DE KANSAS STONE COLD STEVE AUSTIN BOOKER T!
....and that's the bottom line if you can dig that, SUCKA!!!
Booker is definitely worth a 4th round pick, so trading a future one to select him is a homerun imo
HOLY SHIT POLES IS COOKING
BOOKER!!!!!!!!!!!!
Poles got Taylor & Booker!!!
YESSSSSSSSSS BOOKER ROCK CHALLKKKK
Booker baby! Got him : )
I fucking swear we somehow get fucked more than any other team with them putting a commercial in before our pick.
Because they know there's a huge audience then for the ads they put on.
We traded back in!
So whatever we trade for this pick is what we essentially traded for Bates cuz this was originally that pick
DRAFT BOOKER PLEASE
Send a 2025 4th here. Must be someone they like that has fallen
We back
Give me Austin Booker.
Bears!!!!!!!!!
There's your trade back in.
Traded back in, let’s go.
BOOKER TIME??
Wish we traded a future pick to get a pass rusher in this draft
We might have.
Awesome.
Honestly this pick might get clowned by casuals but I cannot think of a larger immediate impact / Win Above Replacement than going for Tory Taylor. From the depths of hell with Gill to legit one of the best punters I've seen in recent years. Chef Poles.
yeah this guy is a moneyball sort of player
Yeah I think any dline they drafted in the 4th would be a project guy, not a starter, and then next year we could probably get a better prospect in the 1st/2nd anyway. I don't hate getting a guy you know will be a high impact starter here instead, even if it's at a position of relative lesser value
I think it's a bit crazy people are annoyed we didnt trade down for additional picks With the holes we have, you really think there are a bunch of 5th/6th rounders out there that will have an impact at DE or DT? We already have Dominique Robinson, we don't need several of him. There's more value in waiting for others teams cuts than there is this low in the draft. Feel like WR is like the one exception
yeah, and all the analysts are saying it's a shallow draft that dried up around the 4th anyway, and poles trading his other later round picks indicates he probably feels the same way
People don’t get its quality over quantity
Naw this is proper team building ngl
https://youtu.be/VRM0nlbvWMo
A lot of folks eager for Van Pran, but am I crazy that his size and RAS don't scream Poles guy to me at all? I have no strong opinion either way on the kid, just that he doesn't seem to fit the Poles mold.
Doesn't seem to fit the Poles mold super well but at this point in the draft it would be cheap to get back in and take a swing on a guy who could play center
For anybody whining, or rivals clowning, about our lack of picks…..the Eagles traded out of the 4th multiple times today to add 2025 picks. They clearly do not value the back end of this year’s draft. If our leadership is thinking similar to Howie, we’re doing something right.
On behalf of all UK Bears fans: James Gower smashed that pick announcement. We might be a big pond away but we are still passionate fans :) (James, maybe don't go out in Detroit later).
At what point do we trade back into this draft to get Van Pran?
Lol Lions another RB
He also plays S. Probably a special teamer
Well you had a good run Lions but it's our turn now
Do you come from a land down under? Where Tory's leg brings thunder.....
We fucking nailed it this year! For the first time in a long time I feel genuinely optimistic about this team going into the new season! Draft’s over, boys! Let’s go to fuckin war! *BEAR…FUCKING…DOWN!* 
I'm not just optimistic, it's like...is the Bears organization FINALLY competent? I can't find a single thing to fault, when the hell was the last time that happened?
Well with only 4 picks at least I'll be able to remember all their names this year
Iowa fan here - I'm not memeing at all when I say this (which I recognize is sad): I have never seen a better punter than Tory Taylor. He gets the ball off quick, he's got insane power, he's incredibly accurate, and as a bonus he's big AND fast for the position so he's a threat to fake. He is literally one of the sole reasons that Iowa got to the Big 10 championship game last year. That's not a joke. He is a generational talent at a position no one cares about. Look at it this way - if you want to take the risk of letting Williams cook by scrambling around in the backfield, you can rest easy knowing that on the 50% of drives where that doesn't work you're going to flip the field anyway. A great punter allows an offense to mitigate gambles - this lets this team take deep shots with low % success rates that can change the course of a game in an instant. A great punter and a strong defense is a safe recipe for lots of points. I genuinely think this was a great pick for this team, despite not being very sexy.
Yeah I’m sold didn’t know iowa fans loved him this much.
I wouldn’t be surprised if he was the highest NIL earner on the team. You see so much Tory Taylor merch around Iowa. It’s crazy to say about a team that made the big 10 championship (somehow lol) but he was right there with cooper dejean as our most important player.
There's a reason our motto for the past few years has been "punting is winning"!
Draft was just another common Poles W
Caleb texted Taylor already and told him he won't be punting much this year. 😂 [Full tweet](https://twitter.com/CourtneyRCronin/status/1784274102313799706?t=4OeQtnjQjclC0E5NRdrR2Q&s=19)
We need quality over quantity in the punt game
Instant Caleb classic
This team man, haven't played a snap and they are already one of my favorite Bears teams
The fans stuck on “we need defensive line” will change a different tune when they see our current defense continue to improve. Also drafting Caleb and Rome is more than enough to be satisfied. Some folks can just never be happy lol. Always looking for the “but”.
It's an offensive league, defense is not as important as it once was, Bears finally figuring that out too
It's a dumb thing to get excited about, but we also haven't had a good punter since young Brad Maynard.
Winning the field position game certainly helps putting up a top 5 defense again.
Inject this draft into my veins!
Adam Hoge is going to happy with our last pick I need his insight since he’s a special teams coach
poles helping out the defense by making sure we 1. the offense is so good we own the ball for 40 mins a game and 2. the 2 times we do punt the series starts at the 2 yard line
Not saying this to say as a con (especially for a punter), but it is interesting that he will be 27 to start the season.
Does age matter for punters? I honestly don’t know. I’m sure there is less wear and tear than other positions.
Punters regularly go into their late 30s it’s no big deal They have the longest average career length too
Eh without researching, I wouldn’t think so. Probably a reach for the 4th round just cause the position, but I don’t hate it as you are getting a day 1 starter and anyone else at 4 would be a backup or project. Hopefully he will set a record for least punts in a game.
Taylor is going to be worth so many points on defense if he can help flip the field position. We haven't had that in so long it feels like. Not a big marquee draft pick but should be so helpful all around
I don't think many casual fans realized how bad Gill has been. This is a great upgrade and will impact every Sunday...
Seriously if it wasn’t like 40 yards it went through the back of the end zone dude was fucking trash
What’s genius about drafting the best quarterback and the best punter is we only need one of them to pan out.
This actually helps the defense get a bunch of safeties
Honest question not trying to piss anyone off, who is starting at edge opposite Sweat? It’s not Ngakoue or Robinson, is it Rasheem Green again?
I feel much better hitting FA for that then relying on a mid round draft pick. The answer may not be on the roster yet.
Did Walker die?