There were no surprises when the Chicago Bears selected USC quarterback Caleb Williams with the No. 1 overall pick of the 2024 NFL draft, but it certainly turned some heads when they used a fourth-rounder on Iowa punter Tory Taylor.
But there was a reason they made the move.
"I didn't expect him to get much further," Bears general manager Ryan Poles said during a Wednesday appearance on the Pat McAfee Show. "Definitely didn't think I'd be able to pick him up when we got into the fifth round. And, really, the thought process there is to make anyone we're playing really uncomfortable.
"I didn't play much in the NFL, but I know running onto the field and having the ball spotted inside the 10-yard line is a very uncomfortable feeling. It's disheartening at times. And I love taking advantage of field position. And, really, that should help us with points, as well."
Chicago ended up with just five picks in the draft, so the reality it used one on a punter underscores how much the front office values that field position and how highly it thinks of Taylor.
It should think highly of him, as the two-time All-American took home the Ray Guy Award as the nation's top punter during the 2023 campaign thanks to an NCAA single-season record of 4,479 total punt yards. He averaged 48.2 yards per kick last season and pinned opponents inside their own 20-yard line 30 more times in each of his final three years with the Hawkeyes.
He also has the inside track to be the starter as a rookie considering ESPN's Field Yates reported Wednesday that Chicago waived Trenton Gill, who punted for the team the last two seasons.
If everything goes according to plan for the Bears, they won't see Taylor on the field much even if he is the starter. After all, they could have one of the most explosive offenses in the NFL with Williams surrounded by DJ Moore, Keenan Allen, Rome Odunze, Cole Kmet, D'Andre Swift, and Gerald Everett, among others.
The rookie signal-caller plans on keeping his new teammate on the sideline:
Kevin Fishbain @kfishbain
New Bears punter Tory Taylor said he got this text from Caleb Williams: "Hey, you're not going to punt too much here."
Still, Chicago can take solace knowing it has someone who can flip field position if that offense does stall at times.