2026 NFL draft preview: Where Chicago Bears stand at special teams
Our Bears' 2026 NFL draft preview series concludes with special teams, where Chicago is pretty well set with their veterans.
The Chicago Bears are in the middle of another important offseason, where they're looking to shore up the roster and remain contenders in Ben Johnson's second season as head coach as the 2026 NFL Draft approaches. The Bears didn't make any big splashes in free agency, where their biggest move was signing Super Bowl champion Coby Bryant to fill one of two starting safety vacancies left by the departing Kevin Byard and Jaquan Brisker. Chicago also added linebacker Devin Bush, defensive tackle Neville Gallimore and wide receiver Kalif Raymond.
But the Bears also suffered some big losses, including wide receiver DJ Moore, linebacker Tremaine Edmunds, Byard and Brisker, as well as center Drew Dalman, who shockingly retired. Chicago has seven draft picks that includes four selections in the top 89, including a pair of second rounders, where they can address some of their biggest needs, including defensive line, safety and offensive tackle. Here at Bears Wire, we're going position by position to break down where Chicago stands entering the 2026 NFL Draft.
We're wrapping things up with special teams, where there's really just one question mark at long snapper. Who's on the roster? Cairo Santos Tory Taylor Luke Elkin Cairo Santos and Tory Taylor have built stability for the Chicago Bears special teams unit, and neither of them feel like they're in danger of losing their job.
Santos converted 25 of his 30 field goal attempts, at 83% and went perfect on extra points throughout the 2025 season. In total, Santos scored 114 points, while making 4-of-6 field goals from 50% yards, giving the Bears much more stability and reliability in the kicking game. Taylor had 60 punts on the year for 2,870 yards for an average of 47.