The Chicago Bears were plenty happy with their 2026 NFL draft class by the time things drew to a close last month. They felt they’d assembled a group of highly talented and motivated players who could contribute to the team immediately. Most of the discussions hovered around 1st round pick Dillon Thieneman, 2nd round pick Logan Jones, and even 4th round pick Malik Muhammad, largely because all three have legitimate chances to start. That makes it easy to overlook Keyshaun Elliott, the team’s 5th round selection from Arizona State.
Linebackers in general don’t get much fanfare in the draft. They’re considered less flashy positions. Also, it seems apparent that Elliott is no threat to play this season, what with T.J. Edwards, Devin Bush, and D’Marco Jackson all penciled in as starters. What some people don’t know is that the decision to draft Elliott wasn’t a quick one. There wasn’t an immediate consensus to do so during the draft. Debates were had about what they should do. According to Adam Jahns on the Hoge & Jahns podcast, it was the insistence of special teams coordinator Richard Hightower that eventually tipped the balance.
Hightower knew Keyshaun Elliott was tailor-made for special teams.
It requires a vital mix of key traits. Chief among them are toughness, effort, intelligence, unselfishness, and discipline. Anybody who watched Elliott play for even one game during his college career will have recognized all of those were present. He was the unquestioned leader of the Sun Devils’ defense, demonstrating his intelligence and discipline in getting teammates lined up before every snap. His toughness and effort showed in all the hustle plays he made to stop runs for short gains or prevent long ones.
If you look across the NFL, you’ll find many players like that cemented on top special teams units. It certainly doesn’t hurt that Elliott made it clear from the start that he would dive straight into work on the third phase. He isn’t naive. While he wants to play, he understands the best course for him to find a footing on the roster is through special teams. If and when he becomes a fixture, as Hightower believes he can be, the Bears will open up the door to opportunities on defense.
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We’ve already seen this approach work before.
One great thing general manager Ryan Poles does is that, by the third day of the draft, he lets his scouts and assistant coaches compile lists of players they really love. Then he does his best to acquire as many of them as possible. Hightower was a fan of Hicks when the Bears took him in the 7th round four years ago. The same was true of Roschon Johnson in 2023. Special teams carries a ton of weight with every pick the Bears make that late in the draft, and Keyshaun Elliott was no exception.
Nobody knows if he can become a legitimate starter on defense. He has enough talent. While not blazing fast, he’s athletic enough and smart enough to play on Sundays. Proving it in practice will be his biggest hurdle. However, many players have carved out long careers on special teams. Former Bears staple Brendon Ayanbadejo is a perfect example. Despite being an undrafted free agent, he spent 10 years in the NFL and was a three-time Pro Bowl special-teamer. Elliott is bigger and more athletic than he was.
