Last year, the Chicago Bears got massive contributions from their 2025 draft class. Tight end Colston Loveland finished as their leading receiver. Wide receiver Luther Burden was their best deep threat. Left tackle Ozzy Trapilo played steady football before his unfortunate knee injury. Kyle Monangai formed a terrific tandem with D’Andre Swift in the backfield. The group was essential to that NFC North division title. Now, fans are wondering if similar contributions could come from the 2026 class. That could prove more difficult. Outside of 1st round pick Dillon Thieneman, none of their other picks are guaranteed to start immediately. The only other possibility would be Logan Jones.
Chicago took the center out of Iowa in the 2nd round, much to the surprise of fans. While they’d expected the team to add a center at some point, none had expected it to happen so soon. Head coach Ben Johnson became smitten with Jones during the evaluation process, especially in interviews. He saw a talented player with intelligence and grit. Still, the feeling was that veteran Garrett Bradbury was the favorite to start this season. Sports Mockery insider Jeff Hughes poked holes in that idea during his podcast.
“I think the team is going to do what teams do now, which is make Logan Jones earn, in camp in front of his teammates, the starting center job. But I don’t think anybody in that building doesn’t think he’s going to be the starting center.”
Logan Jones is not a normal rookie.
Most who come into the NFL have two years of starting experience and are around the age of 21. They’re still very young and learning the intricacies of the position. That is not the case for Jones. He started 51 games for Iowa, the equivalent of three full pro seasons. At 25 years old, he is also a fully developed man. This isn’t somebody who arrived wet behind the ears. Jones is mature and polished. The only thing holding him back is a lack of knowledge of the Bears’ offense. This is perfectly fine since it’s the same for Bradbury, who arrived a month earlier via trade from New England.
Both men are on equal footing. In such cases, teams are more inclined to play the younger player. Bradbury would have to significantly outperform Jones in training camp later this month to win the job. If they battle to a draw, Johnson will want to put the guy they hope will work with Caleb Williams over multiple years into the lineup as soon as possible. It sounds like Jones hasn’t disappointed so far. The real test will come when the pads go on in a few weeks.
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Excitement is quietly building for this draft class.
Thieneman already had plenty as one of the top safeties to come out of college in the past few years. His mix of size, speed, and instincts exhibits Pro Bowl-caliber potential. Logan Jones was widely considered the best center in the draft. There is a strong chance he would’ve gone in the 1st round if he’d been a couple years younger. Then you get to their two 3rd rounders, Brandon Roush and Zavion Thomas. No two players were received with more confusion and anger by fans than them.
Things have shifted considerably since then. Roush and Thomas both reportedly looked really good in OTAs and minicamps. Buzz is building that they could become a much bigger part of the offense than initially thought. If those four players step up as quality contributors right away, it raises expectations for the entire team. Jones could be an instant hit. He’s a perfect fit for this offense and plays with the kind of relentless determination that leads to immediate success.
