Chicago Bears: Round 5, Pick No. 165
Keith Taylor is massively underrated in the NFL Draft. Even after balling out for the Washington Huskies and tearing it up at the Senior Bowl as well, Taylor still remains to be found in later rounds of mock drafts. He could be a starter at the next level found this late in the draft.
As a two-year starter, Taylor proved to be not only a solid cornerback but also a solid tackler as well. He racked up 59 tackles in his full-year starting back in 2019. Playing alongside Elijah Molden, a fellow 2021 NFL Draft prospect, it was hard for Taylor to draw more attention to himself and show what he can do, but he still showed it.
Taylor is a big and physical corner who uses his strength to win battles. He isn’t afraid to come to defend the run and he displays good instincts on tape diagnosing plays and reacting quickly. He is extremely solid, but not truly elite at anything. Taylor needs to work on some things, but he can definitely succeed at the next level.
The Bears aren’t horrible at cornerback. They have two great starters in Kyle Fuller and Jaylon Johnson, but every one after that is a question mark. Kindle Vildor, Tre Roberson, and Duke Shelley all have promise, but the Bears need to add more cornerbacks to their room to have solid backups and a new nickel cornerback as well.