After making a trade with the Carolina Panthers to move up in the fourth round, the Chicago Bears waited to make their pick in the fifth round and brought in another defensive playmaker, selecting linebacker Keyshaun Elliott out of Arizona State with the 166th overall pick.
This is the third selection on defense that the Bears have made in this year’s draft, including safety Dillon Thieneman (first round), cornerback Malik Muhammad (fourth round), who the team traded up to get at pick No. 124, and now Elliott.
Elliott will join the Bears linebacker room that is filled with veterans, led by T.J. Edwards, Devin Bush, D’Marco Jackson, and Jack Sanborn. It is the second straight year in which the Bears have drafted a linebacker, after they selected Ruben Hyppolite II in the fourth round last year. The Arizona State product will likely see his first opportunities to make an impact on special teams, while also having plenty of veteran leaders to learn from.
2026 NFL Draft: Bears select Dillon Thieneman in first round (No. 25)1 / 1How NFL experts graded the Bears' selection of Dillon Thieneman2026 NFL Draft: Bears select Dillon Thieneman in first round (No. 25)1 / 1How NFL experts graded the Bears' selection of Dillon Thieneman2026 NFL Draft: Bears select Dillon Thieneman in first round (No. 25)Here’s how the NFL world reacted to the Bears’ selection of Keyshaun Elliott:
Ryan Poles has drafted every position except for DL pic.twitter.com/eI1FKYABDN
Linebacker depth is a little scarce for Chicago, so the Keyshaun Elliott selection makes sense. Not some super athletic guy, but a solid run stopper who also showed an ability to get after the QB last season with 7 sacks.
The #Bears add some value on special teams with Arizona State linebacker Keyshaun Elliott at No. 176 overallPhysical LB with impressive blitzing ability. Don't know how high the athletic ceiling or coverage skills are, but he'll be a good third-phase type of guy
Keyshaun Elliott is high character instinctual LB. Good size and speed.300 career tackles, 14 tackles for loss and 7 sacks last season.His coverage is pretty meh.Some had a 3rd round grade on him.#DaBears
For being a 5th round pick, I really like what I’m seeing from Keyshaun Elliott. Could be a solid pick up for the Bears. 🤔 pic.twitter.com/lfLtTbosjz
Keyshaun Elliot was a top 10 LB for me and a 4th round grade. Highest rated LB on the board. 134th on the consensus board. Good value https://t.co/1qaE4VgiBs
The ceiling on Keyshaun Elliot is somewhere along the lines of run down starter or used specifically in sub-packages on blitzes. The coverage skills are a major work in progress. High end special teams add. #Bears
#Bears fans, @OllieConnolly and I really think Keyshaun Elliott could be an excellent day 3 find for Chicago. He was in both of our top 5 LBs. 46th on my board. Violent play style and solid athletic/size profile. And he goes to Dennis Allen! https://t.co/wBsHgLs35g pic.twitter.com/J4ThohIWdD
I missed it when it happened but Keyshaun Elliott to the Bears is sick. He fills gaps with urgency and avoids blockers well. Not as much of a coverage guy right now, but I like his game
Bears select LB Keyshaun Elliott from ASU6'1" 233 lbs, 22 yrs old4.58 40, 38" vert, 10'5" broad jump8.74 RAS38 starts in college between New Mexico St/Arizona StGreen dot LB, who shows good instincts, character, team captainNeeds to improve on coverage, but a solid LB… pic.twitter.com/7Um3oOV0hf
l like the Keyshaun Elliot pick a lot. Smart communicates well. He's going to wear the green dot for the Bears at some point
This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears draft Keyshaun Elliott: NFL world reacts to Chicago's pick