There were hints for months that the Chicago Bears might not be satisfied with Trenton Gill’s work as punter since last season. His improvement had leveled off and wasn’t yielding the results they wanted. There were rumblings GM Ryan Poles might look for competition. It turns out they opted for an outright replacement. Their fourth and final pick of the draft became Iowa punter Tory Taylor, widely viewed as the best in this class and one of the best to come out of college in years. He averaged over 48 yards per punt last season, displaying a booming leg and strong accuracy.
Initial comparisons bring up the name Shane Lechler, who was a seven-time Pro Bowler. Yes, Taylor is that talented. Hailing from Australia, he has a natural feel for his craft. Not only does he have a powerful leg, but he’s a good athlete with a 6’4 size. He consistently flipped field position for Iowa during his time there and downed 162 punts inside the 20-yard line. The only complaint about him is a tendency to be slow in his process, which can lead to occasional blocks.
The Chicago Bears knew what they were doing.
A lot of people were upset the team didn’t take a pass rusher or center. The thing is none of the players they got at those positions would’ve been anywhere close to the best in the draft. Taylor is the best punter in this class and it’s not really close. He has a complete arsenal that should help put the defense in advantageous situations while giving the offense some space with long kicks. What’s the saying? Punters are like lawyers. You never care about them until you need a good one.
Taylor has the capacity to be a great player. He’s also a great fit for Chicago. His girlfriend is from there, and he’s used to playing at a program known for its blue-collar playing style. The Chicago Bears nabbed three no-doubt starters with four of their draft picks. Punters might not be sexy, but they are necessary. This was a good pick. It makes the team better. Besides, they have nine picks in 2025 to address any lingering roster issues.
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The Bears are going to have to load up on UDFA s and trying developing the players they have. I know they have holes in their roster, but without developmental coaching, they’re going to have to hope college coaching is better than what they’ve shown for years.
We’ll see.
This is the directional punter we needed…
Ok I’m happy. They traded a 4th and got Booker anyway. Absolutely necessary move.
The first pick was a given, the second fell into the lap, and the third and fourth cute picks did not really require much scouting at all–over a year of such for these results with high opportunity costs are psychotic–the ownership should get refunds. Only good UDFAs could conceivably make up for these costly selections for a team and fans bleeding for a playoff run.
You know damn well there are quality players in the 4th and when you have a significant hole at a position they can definitely start and be productive. That hole at DE is huge and filling it with other teams throwaway players does not inspire confidence. Puka was the “18th best WR” last year and who would want that right.