The Chicago Bears got mixed reviews for their work in the 2026 NFL draft. Some felt the team didn’t do a good enough job addressing their biggest needs, opting to take players at certain positions that didn’t need help. Perhaps the biggest example was selecting Stanford tight end Sam Roush in the 3rd round. The Bears already had Colston Loveland and Cole Kmet. It felt ill-advised to spend such a high selection on what would be the #3 tight end in your offense. However, head coach Ben Johnson didn’t apologize for the decision.
He and general manager Ryan Poles agreed that Roush offered unique traits that would benefit the offense in several ways. Most notably, his blocking. Having played in a run-first offense in college, Roush had to learn how to embrace the lifestyle of not catching many passes. Not only did he succeed, but he arguably became the best blocking tight end in the country. Based on recent updates from the Bears’ joint practice with the Cincinnati Bengals, he’s been living up to that reputation.
After a minimal gain on the ground from D’Andre Swift, the Bears’ running back got another opportunity, running to the left side for a 10-plus yard run. Rookie tight end Sam Roush had a good block on the play, and one of the coaches yelled out, “Hell yeah, Sam!“
Williams completed a pass to Kalif Raymond near the left sideline. The Bears’ quarterback dropped the ball perfectly over the underneath defender. Good protection on the play.
Sam Roush is an experiment regarding niche drafting.
Usually, when a team operates in the draft, they’re looking for that all-encompassing player. Someone who can do everything on the field. However, there is an assortment of teams that operate with a different perspective. Rather than seek out those do-it-all players, who tend to be extremely rare, they instead target players who can do one or two things really well. Then the coaches find ways to incorporate those talents on offense or defense. One such example is, of course, a tight end who blocks really well.
Yes, Sam Roush isn’t the best receiver type. He’s not the fastest. Here’s the thing. The Bears don’t need any of that. They have Loveland and Kmet for those duties. They do, on the other hand, need somebody to help protect Caleb Williams and open lanes in the running game. All while still being at least a credible pass-catching threat. That is a niche Roush fits perfectly. He may not be the potential star people hope for, but it sure feels like he makes the Bears better.
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Roush won’t be noticeable in the stat sheet.
Boxscore watchers will denounce him as a wasted pick. However, film watchers may present a different argument. As they digest what the Bears offense accomplishes in the coming months, they’ll likely notice big #87 driving a defensive end out of the lane or mowing down a defensive back in the open field. He’ll be helping one of the tackles slow down pass rushers. While he may rarely be the primary target on a play, his presence will make most of the good ones happen.
Such players might seem like a dime a dozen. They are not. It requires a special kind of unselfishness to play the role the Bears are asking Roush to. He doesn’t seem bothered by it at all, which is unquestionably one of the reasons they wanted to draft him. Such a team-first attitude is paramount to winning football games. He hasn’t wasted time settling in, and other teams are already getting a taste of what’s coming.
