If Caleb Williams struggles, the Bears have someone who can kick the ball away.
The Bears drafted Iowa’s Tory Taylor, the best punter in college football, in Round 4 on Saturday.
“Caleb texted me before, saying, ‘You’re not going to punt too much,’” he said Saturday.
The former Australian Rules Football player finished last season with 4,479 punting yards and a 48.2-yard average, both FBS records. He won the Ray Guy Award last year, given to the best player at his position.
His career of average of 46.3 yards is the best ever in FBS.
“I’m certainly used to kicking in the cold and poor conditions,” he said.
Between 2021-22, he landed 162 punts inside the 20-yard line. He’s had three punts blocked.
Taylor stands 6-3, 223 pounds — a good size for the position.
Punting proved to be an important strategy at Iowa, whose offense notoriously struggled the past few years. Drafting Taylor likely means the end of Trenton Gill’s starting job, if not his spot on the roster. Gill was last in the NFL in net average last year, with 38 yards, though special teams coordinator Richard Hightower often praised his ability to hold the ball on field goals.
The pick was the last one the Bears were scheduled to make Saturday, short of a potential trade.