The Chicago Bears‘ 2026 draft class is best described as…unorthodox. Things started with clear intent. They selected Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman in the 1st round, finding that second starter next to Coby Bryant they were missing. Then, in the 2nd round, they secured their center of the future with Iowa’s Logan Jones. Nothing crazy so far. That abruptly changed in the 3rd round. After trading down to the #69 spot, general manager Ryan Poles delivered a shocker by taking Stanford tight end Sam Roush.
Initial reactions were utter confusion. A tight end? Why? The Bears already drafted Colston Loveland in the 1st round last year. They still had Cole Kmet. Sure, they’d lost Durham Smythe to free agency, but he’d been a cheap addition anyway. It shouldn’t be that hard to replace him. Spending a higher pick on a third tight end defied conventional wisdom. Mike Sando of The Athletic went searching for answers, and the feedback from other teams helped paint a picture of what the Bears are doing. Those other teams aren’t happy about it.
“Chicago was really good in the run game this past year, and to get Roush to play tight end, damn, they are going to be able to run some strong-side runs,” a third said. “This guy can block all the defensive ends.”
Sam Roush enhances one of the team’s biggest strengths.
Last season, the Bears ranked 3rd in rushing across the NFL. They did this without a true #1 running back, instead utilizing the talents of D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai, and excellent blocking up front. Anybody who has watched Ben Johnson’s system over the years will know that tight ends play a key role in that execution. They are the ones who help spring guys to the outside, creating big-play opportunities. Now they’re adding perhaps the best blocking tight end in the entire draft class.
If Roush can block opposing defensive ends, it frees up their tackles to either double-team a defensive tackle or spring to the second level to pick off a linebacker or defensive back. That means more holes, and more holes mean more chunk plays. Nothing is more demoralizing to defense than being physically bullied at the line of scrimmage. Roush specializes in that. He’s basically an offensive lineman with the frame and speed of a tight end. The vision is pretty clear.
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The Bears basically added Marcedes Lewis.
Fans will remember the ageless veteran spent two years in Chicago trying to help the team during a rebuild. While he was no longer the solid pass-catching threat he’d been in his younger days, he remained a very good blocker who helped the team finish 2nd in rushing in 2023. Now, think about what would happen if the Bears got the young version of him coming out of college. That is what Sam Roush is.
He is almost exactly the same size at 6’6″, 267 lbs. His blocking is strong and technically proficient. Even crazier is that he is a better athlete than Lewis was.
| Metric | Marcedes Lewis (2006) | Sam Roush (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Height | 6′ 6″ | 6′ 6″ |
| Weight | 261 lbs | 267 lbs |
| 40-Yard Dash | 4.84s | 4.70s |
| Vertical Jump | 37.0″ | 38.5″ |
| Broad Jump | 9′ 10″ | 10′ 6″ |
| 3-Cone Drill | 7.24s | 7.08s |
| 20-Yard Shuttle | 4.84s | 4.37s |
| Bench Press | 23 reps | 25 reps |
This doesn’t mean Roush is destined for a 20-year career, but it doesn’t indicate the Bears got way more value with that pick than people realize. Lewis was a 1st round pick. If people want a taste of what he’ll do in Ben Johnson’s offense, go watch Lewis from 2019 through 2022 when he was with the Green Bay Packers.
It was a perfect marriage of scheme and player. Johnson’s system, at least in the running game, is very similar. That Packers team reached two NFC championships. Lewis was a big part of why. Roush will be the same if he carries over what he was becoming in college.
