Meet Your New Bear: Keyshaun Elliott Is Built Different
2026 NFL Draft · Round 5 · Pick 166
The Draft Network sat down with Chicago's toughest Day 3 addition — and Bears fans need to watch it.
Watch the interview: Keyshaun Elliott: Path to the 2026 NFL Draft – The Draft Network
When the Chicago Bears traded up to snag Arizona State linebacker Keyshaun Elliott with pick No. 166 on Day 3 of the 2026 NFL Draft, a lot of fans did what they always do with fifth-round picks — shrugged and moved on. That would be a mistake.
The Draft Network's Paige Dimakos sat down with Elliott for an in-depth interview that covers his road to the draft, his Pro Day performance, and what drives him every time he steps on the field. Watch it, because the player you'll see talking is not the kind of guy who disappears on a depth chart.
A football mind, not just a football body
Elliott wore the green dot at Arizona State — meaning he was the defensive play-caller on the field, responsible for relaying signals and getting 10 other guys lined up correctly under pressure. That kind of trust doesn't get handed to just anybody. It's earned, and it tells you everything about what the coaching staff in Tempe thought of his football IQ.
"A high-end intangible player. Smart, instinctive. He wore the green dot for them at Arizona State. Everything you want in a player, especially in Day 3 of the draft." — Reese Hicks, Bears West Coast Area Scout
The résumé backs it up. As a senior, he led the Sun Devils with 98 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, and 7 sacks — numbers that made him Second-Team All-Big 12. Add in four seasons of college football split between New Mexico State and Arizona State, and you've got a player who has lined up against a full spectrum of competition and come out on top consistently.
The pro day that silenced doubters
Speed was the knock on Elliott heading into the draft cycle, and he knew it. So instead of sitting out the combine, he attacked his pro day in front of scouts from 31 NFL teams and ran a 4.58 forty-yard dash. Not a burner, but more than enough to prove he can close on ball-carriers and won't be a liability in space.
The Bears clearly liked what they saw. Their scouts were in the room, and when the fifth round came around, Ryan Poles and Ben Johnson made the call.
Why this matters for Chicago
Elliott joins a linebacker room that has T.J. Edwards and Devin Bush ahead of him on the depth chart. He's not walking in expecting to start in 2026 — and he knows it. His first priority, as he told reporters after being drafted, is getting on the field on special teams and making plays from day one.
But here's the longer view: Edwards is likely in his final year with the team. Elliott, still 22 years old and a native midwesterner who grew up loving football since age nine, has every reason to grow into a legitimate starting linebacker in Chicago. His cousin Lenvil Elliott played nine seasons in the NFL and won a Super Bowl — football is in the blood.
"I look at myself, and I look at a guy that was able to lead multiple defenses for a multiple amount of years." — Keyshaun Elliott
The Bears' run defense has been a glaring weakness. Bringing in a hard-hitting, instinctive linebacker with the character of Keyshaun Elliott — even as a developmental piece — is exactly the kind of swing a smart front office takes on Day 3. This one has the look of a steal.
Go watch the interview
The Draft Network's sit-down with Elliott covers his full pre-draft journey, his personal scouting report on himself, who he credits for getting him to this moment, and more. It's the best 15-minute investment a Bears fan can make to get to know the newest member of the Chicago defense.
Watch here: Keyshaun Elliott: Path to the 2026 NFL Draft – The Draft Network
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