Bears take Iowa punter Tory Taylor in 4th round of NFL Draft

Charlie Neibergall/AP

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, with Pick 122 in Round 4 on Saturday.

"Caleb texted me before, saying, 'You're not going to punt too much,'" Taylor 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," the 6-3, 223-pounder said.

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.

As the fourth round trudged along Saturday, Taylor joked with his girlfriend, a Wilmette native, that he could end up in Chicago. He playfully counted down the picks until the Bears were up.

"There’s not many punters that are drafted high these days," he said. "It’s just really an absolute honor to be a Bear. I just can’t really believe it to be honest. It’s crazy.”