The Chicago Bears made quite the surprising move in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft, selecting tight end Sam Roush with the No. 69 pick after trading down from No. 60 earlier in the night.
Roush now joins a tight end room led by veteran Cole Kmet and last year's first-round pick Colston Loveland, who became a big part of the Bears passing attack as a rookie.
While Kmet saw a dip in production following the arrival of Loveland, Roush is a much different type of tight end, one who can block all over the field and should be more helpful in the run game, while Kmet and Loveland dominate the passing game. Following Roush's selection, general manager Ryan Poles said that nothing will change with the top two tight ends on the depth chart, specifically Kmet.
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Head coach Ben Johnson caught some heat in the immediate reaction to the team drafting Loveland last season, but in the end the Bears head coach proved that he knew what he was doing in finding the talent that fit his team the best.
The selection of a tight end may have been baffling to most, but if Roush can help improve the run game even more than the success they had last season, the pick will pay off. For now, the veteran Kmet has nothing to worry about with his place and standing on the depth chart, and should still be considered a weapon for quarterback Caleb Williams.
Last season, Kmet hauled in 30 receptions for 347 yards, and two touchdowns, including one of the most memorable touchdowns in Bears history which sent their divisional matchup into overtime, where the Bears lost to the Los Angeles Rams.
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears GM Ryan Poles: Sam Roush pick changes nothing with Cole Kmet