With the No. 69 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, the Chicago Bears selected Stanford tight end Sam Roush.
The selection of a tight end within the first three rounds of the NFL Draft was a massive surprise, considering the Bears’ current tandem of Colston Loveland and Cole Kmet. However, they utilized last year’s third-string tight end, Durham Smythe, at a high level as a run blocker, so Roush should have an impact as a rookie, even if it’s not in the stat sheet.
Roush is arguably the best run-blocking tight end in this year’s draft, and his elite athletic testing and high-level production in 2025 give him intriguing upside at the next level. Time will tell if he usurps Kmet in the Bears’ rotation in the long run, but the potential is high with him. With eight tight ends going in the top 100, there’s a clear push towards drafting run-blocking tight ends higher with other picks like Nate Boerkircher of the Jaguars, Marlin Klein of the Texans, and Will Kacmarek of the Dolphins.
As I’ve done since 2019, I put together a thread involving my analysis of each Bears draft selection, sharing some clips that highlight their strengths along the way. This year is certainly no different, so here’s my quick-hit evaluation of the Bears selecting Roush in Round 3.
THREAD: New #Bears TE Sam Roush is an extremely surprising pick, but he has plenty of intriguing tools to work with.
Sam Roush is one of the best run-blocking tight ends in the 2026 NFL Draft.He’s a big dude who lands his strikes accurately and has a strong anchor to bully defenders at the line of scrimmage. #Bears pic.twitter.com/AKdp5TEC0Z
Sam Roush ranked fifth in PFSN TE Impact scoring in 2025. He naked fifth in TE receptions and receiving yards.Smooth operator as a route runner who’s a lot better athlete than most his size. Can stretch the field a bit across the middle. #Bears pic.twitter.com/MHfUE0Ychl
Ben Johnson says “no block, no rock.” Sam Roush fits that perfectly.He has good spatial awareness and route tempo adjustment as a receiver, but it’s his tenacity as a blocker that wows me most. #Bears pic.twitter.com/C01aejoAfn
As posted earlier, here’s Sam Roush’s RAS.Roush is an elite level athlete with ideal size and big hands for the position. Is it surprising? Yes. Is he a talented player? Also yes. #Bears pic.twitter.com/Auo1tyeGC3