Chicago Bears could have the best set of rookies in the NFL in 2024

The Chicago Bears had what many consider to be a very good draft. If the players do what the team expects it could be the best draft class in the NFL.

Apr 26, 2024; Lake Forest, IL, USA; Chicago Bears first round draft choices Rome Odunze (left) and Caleb Williams (right) pose for photos at a press conference at Halas Hall. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports / David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

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Tory Taylor, Punter, Fourth Round

While the offense was certainly a priority for Poles, he added more prospects in other areas. The special teams struggled with Trenton Gill punting the ball. He could not flip the field or pin opponents deep in their territory. In the fourth round, Poles then selected Tory Taylor, one of the top punting prospects in recent memory.

Taylor could be the second "generational" prospect Poles and the Bears select. Taylor was a big reason the Iowa Hawkeyes won ten games and were the Big Ten West's division winners. That happened despite Iowa averaging just 15.4 points per game. That ranked 132nd out of 133 teams in the nation.

Taylor has a linebacker's body. He measures 6-foot-4 and weighs 231 pounds. With that, he has a canon for a leg. He can easily flip the field for his team. He can punt the ball from deep in his own territory and pin the ball way into the opponent's side fo the field.

What Taylor also does is accurately drop the ball deep in the opponent's territory. He pins them back and has the defense pin its ears back and play aggressively.

With Taylor and the defense working well together, the new-look offense can then have a short field to work with. That increases the odds of scoring. Seeing that is why it is important a team succeeds in all three aspects of the game. It is exactly what Poles had in mind when he became the Bears GM in 2022.

Taylor's booming leg prevents big plays from happening. He has great hangtime in addition to dropping the ball inside the 20. In 2023, his kicks resulted in 29 fair catches and 32 inside the 20. That's after having 25 and 38, respectively, in 2022. There are many times in games, especially in close ones, in which a punt return jump-started an opponent that resulted in game-winning points.

When the Bears selected Taylor, Williams texted him saying that he would not be punting much. Even if he doesn't, the punts he does have will help give the Chicago Bears field position advantage.

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