Ryan Poles continues his "best player available" masterclass, snagging versatile Arizona State linebacker Keyshaun Elliott in the fifth round to bolster Chicago’s defense with elite Day 2 value.
The Chicago Bears have been known to find hidden gems in the late rounds of drafts under General Manager Ryan Poles.
Last year, it was Rutgers running back Kyle Monangai in the seventh round. He had a significant role in the Chicago backfield as a rookie and finished with 783 rushing yards and five touchdowns.
The Bears took Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman in the first round. They then followed with Iowa center Logan Jones, Stanford tight end Sam Roush and LSU receiver Zavion Thomas in Day 2.
On Day 3, Chicago took Texas cornerback Malik Muhammad, Arizona State linebacker Keyshaun Elliott and Georgia Tech defensive tackle Jordan Van Den Berg.
Linebacker wasn't a high-priority need for the Bears going in. Chicago had major needs at safety, defensive tackle and edge rusher.
Safety was significant after losing Kevin Byard and Jaquan Brisker in free agency. The Bears added Coby Bryant from the Seattle Seahawks, but needed another safety to start alongside him.
Thieneman is going to start at safety as a rookie.
Chicago already addressed the linebacker position after releasing Tremaine Edmunds. The Bears signed former Cleveland Browns linebacker Devin Bush in free agency. T.J. Edwards and Noah Sewell suffered late-season injuries but are expected to be back as the starters at linebacker.
Reserve linebacker D'Marco Jackson also re-signed with the team.
So why did the Bears take Elliott in the fifth round? Poles is once again going with the best player available strategy that paid off last year with picks like Colston Loveland.
ESPN's Matt Miller believes Elliott could be another late-round steal for Poles and the Bears.
"Linebacker didn't rank as a top-five need in Chicago, but sometimes value and getting the best player available matters more," Miller said. "Elliott had a Day 2 grade and was stolen by the Bears in Round 5. Versatile and fast (he ran a 4.58 40 in the combine), Elliott had seven sacks last season while playing off-ball linebacker. Elliott was a high-character captain at Arizona State and should be one of defensive coordinator Dennis Allen's favorites."
Elliott started his career at New Mexico State in 2022. After recording 111 total tackles, 10 TFLs and 2.5 sacks in 2023, he hit the transfer portal and landed at Arizona State.
Last season, he finished with 98 total tackles, seven sacks and 14 TFLs for loss. The production is there, but can he mesh well with Dennis Allen's defense?
Even if Elliott can't earn starting minutes in 2026, it's clear that the Bears were thinking with the future in mind with this pick, as they did with most of this year's draft class.
It's hard to tell who the signature Poles' steal of the draft for the Bears will be, but Elliott is a good candidate.