The Chicago Bears added to their linebacker room with the selection of Arizona State’s Keyshaun Elliott with their second of three picks from Day 3 of the 2026 NFL Draft. Let’s get to know the newest linebacker on Chicago’s roster by learning about his past and where he projects to go in the future.
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KEYSHAUN ELLIOTT (ROUND 5, PICK 166)
Position: Linebacker College: Arizona State (2024-25), New Mexico State (2022-23) Measurables: 6’2″, 231 pounds, 31 1/4″ arms, 9 1/4″ hands Accomplishments: Second-team All-Big 12 (2025) Keyshaun Elliott reacts after a tackle during the first quarter against Mississippi State at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn ImagesThe Bears moved back to No. 166 from No. 144 on Day 3 of the NFL Draft as part of a trade that allowed them to move up to draft cornerback Malik Muhammad. And when they went on the clock with the 166th overall pick, Bears General Manager Ryan Poles added to the defense with the selection of Arizona State linebacker Keyshaun Elliott.
MORE: Instant Analysis of the Keyshaun Elliott Pick
HIGHLIGHTS
STRENGTHS, WEAKNESSES, NFL PLAYER COMP
via NFL Draft profile
STRENGTHS
High-end football character and trains like a pro at all times. Revved up his production in second season at ASU. Hands are heavy when he throws them with purpose at blockers. Drifts downhill to help squeeze the run lane. Makes himself big and wide as a wrap-up tackler.WEAKNESSES
Poor speed leaves little margin for error in diagnosis. Must improve at properly leveraging his run fits. Lacks short-area quickness and reactive athleticism. Slow to disengage from the block. Can be exploited in the passing game.NFL COMPARISON: N/A
From NFL Media’s Lance Zierlein:
Big, productive inside linebacker lacking the athletic traits to make enough plays on the next level. Elliott has earned praise for his exceptional work ethic and football character. His instincts and reaction time are average, though. He can be heavy-handed when taking on blocks and his execution is inconsistent. His pursuit speed to the sideline is too heavy-footed in pass coverage and as an open-field tackler. His pathway will need to be as a physical thumper who can star on special teams.
Here’s what Matt Rooney had to say about the Keyshaun Elliott selection over the weekend:
I go back and forth on this pick. Given how the Bears have built their defense this offseason – with speed, speed, and more speed – going with a slower linebacker feels like a bit of an odd fit. However, as Zierlein notes, Elliott has a chance to be a great special teams player from day one. In addition, he was very good as a blitzer, racking up seven tackles and 14 TFLs last season. And we all know Dennis Allen likes to get aggressive defensively. The Bears might think he can be solid against the run, where they struggled mightily last season.
I don’t love drafting a special teams player in the 5th Round, but at the same time, it’s rare that late round picks see the field on offense or defense right away, anyway. And there’s nothing coaches like more than young players making a name for themselves on special teams. Special teams standouts often earn chances on offense or defense.
We saw last season all throughout the league how important special teams can be, so if the Bears are using this pick to strengthen theirs, while maybe being able to develop Elliott behind someone whose skillset he matches – T.J. Edwards – I can see the vision, even if it’s not quite the route I’d have liked them to go.
RELATIVE ATHLETIC SCORE
Relative Athletic Score grades player measurements on a 0-10 scale and compares them to their contemporaries. It is a unique way to provide some of these prospects with additional depth and perspective.
Keyshaun Elliott was drafted in round 5 with pick 166 in the 2026 draft class. He scored a 8.74 RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 438 out of 3480 LB from 1987 to 2026. ras.football/ras-informat…[image or embed]
— Kent Lee Platte (Mathbomb) (@mathbomb.bsky.social) April 25, 2026 at 2:09 PMWHERE HE FITS
At the start of the offseason, linebacker was pretty high on the list of needs for the Bears. The re-signing of 2025 breakout player D’Marco Jackson, the addition of Devin Bush through free agency, and the return of Jack Sanborn softened that need a bit.
Keyshaun Elliott (44) against the Texas Tech Red Raiders at Mountain America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn ImagesStill, with Tremaine Edmunds released and T.J. Edwards recovering from a late-season fractured fibula, it was anticipated there would be an addition in last week’s draft, and it came in the form of former Arizona State linebacker Keyshaun Elliott.
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Elliott seems like a plug-and-play contributor on special teams as early as Week 1, which, in itself, has plenty of value. As far as his fit on defense is concerned, he’s likely a depth contributor. In a perfect world, he doesn’t have much of a role on defense this season, because that would mean health has shaken out in favor of the Bears’ linebacker room, something we weren’t able to say last season.
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