A physical, downhill linebacker who called the defense for Arizona State, Keyshaun Elliott brings leadership and 98 tackles worth of production to Chicago as a fifth-round rookie.
Keyshaun Elliott's college path took him from New Mexico State to Arizona State, where he became the Sun Devils' defensive signal-caller and a Second-Team All-Big 12 performer. The Bears drafted the physical, box-oriented linebacker in the fifth round, valuing his leadership and work ethic even as evaluators flagged his coverage range as a work in progress.
Path to the league
A Richmond, Missouri native, Elliott signed with New Mexico State out of high school and spent his first two college seasons there before transferring to Arizona State ahead of the 2024 season. He was selected by the Bears with the 166th overall pick in the fifth round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Career highlights
Elliott broke out as a sophomore at New Mexico State in 2023 with 111 tackles, 10 for loss, and 2.5 sacks, earning second-team all-conference recognition. At Arizona State he wore the green dot as the defense's play-caller and earned an invite to the 2026 East-West Shrine Bowl.
2025 season recap
In his second season at Arizona State in 2025, Elliott was named Second-Team All-Big 12 after recording 98 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss and 7 sacks, production that established him as one of the conference's most disruptive linebackers and helped him hear his name called on draft weekend.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Keyshaun Elliott
- Chicago Sun-Times: NFL Draft - Bears pick Sun Devils LB Keyshaun Elliott at No. 166
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Linebacker
- Group
- defense
- College
- Arizona State
- Hometown
- Richmond, MO, USA
- Age
- 22
- Status
- active
