On Thursday, the Chicago Bears did what everyone had been anticipating for months, selecting Caleb Williams first overall. Eight picks later, Bears GM Ryan Poles got his new franchise quarterback a young receiver to grow with, selecting Rome Odunze ninth overall.
Then, two days later, the Bears took care of some business on special teams, becoming the first team to draft a punter, selecting Iowa’s Tory Taylor with the 122nd overall pick. Drafting a punter in the fourth round is notable when there were several other talented prospects who could also fill needs available, yet Taylor was widely regarded as the best punter prospect in the 2024 draft class.
Taylor was an All-American in college, won the Ray Guy Award as the nation’s punter, and he even set a new NCAA record for single-season punting yardage with 4,479 yards. The previous record was set back in 1938, thousands of punters haven’t been able to match it until Taylor achieved the feat.
Caleb Williams’ text to teammate Tory Taylor is a gem
There’s no denying Taylor’s talent, and having a punter who can consistently pin their opponents inside the 20-yard line can be a valuable tool for any team. Yet, his new teammate Caleb Williams is already talking trash, telling Taylor he’ll be spending a lot of time on the bench as a rookie.
“Hey, you’re not going to punt too much this year.”
Caleb Williams’ text to new Chicago Bears teammate Tory Taylor
What a welcoming text message.
Yet, if all goes according to plan, Williams is right. In a perfect world, Taylor won’t be punting much this season, or at all in a Bears uniform, but when he does, expect that ball to go really, really far.
Related: Chicago Bears, Caleb Williams set new NFL Draft merchandise sales record
