The Chicago Bears made waves with the selection of Iowa punter Tory Taylor in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL draft.
While it was a surprising move — especially considering the team has yet to address the defensive line — it’s a sneaky good selection by general manager Ryan Poles, who got a star in Taylor. He’ll be a weapon for this team in how he can flip the field for the Bears defense with his impressive leg strength.
Speaking with the media after his selection, Taylor said he received this text from rookie quarterback Caleb Williams: “Hey, you’re not going to punt too much here.”
New Bears punter Tory Taylor said he got this text from Caleb Williams: "Hey, you're not going to punt too much here."
— Kevin Fishbain (@kfishbain) April 27, 2024
The Bears certainly aren’t the Hawkeyes, whose offense was among the worst in college football. Especially now after Chicago has added to their explosive offense with playmakers including Williams, Rome Odunze, Keenan Allen, D’Andre Swift and Gerald Everett, joining DJ Moore and Cole Kmet.
Taylor wasn’t just a good college punter, he was the best. He averaged 48.2 yards per punt last season, setting the single-season punting record and won the Ray Guy Award as the nation’s top punter.
It’s also not hyperbole to say that Taylor was Iowa’s offense last season. Safe to say, he shouldn’t be punting as much as he did in college. And, if it’s up to Williams, it’ll be a significant drop-off in total punts for Taylor as he transitions to the Bears.
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