Pros, cons of Bears picking Sam Roush, former Lipscomb Academy star, in NFL draft

The Chicago Bears selected former Stanford tight end Sam Roush in the third round with the 69th overall pick of the 2026 NFL Draft.

Roush, a 6-foot-6, 275-pound former Lipscomb Academy high school standout in Nashville, was a second-team All-ACC selection in 2025 after 12 starts. He had career highs in catches (49), receiving yards (545) and caught two touchdown passes.

He ranked sixth among FBS tight ends in receiving yards and eighth in receptions.

Roush played at Lipscomb for his senior year only, under Super Bowl-winning quarterback Trent Dilfer, helping the Mustangs win the 2021 TSSAA football state title.

Here are the pros and cons of selecting Roush in the 2026 NFL Draft.

More: Stanford commitment Sam Roush adjusts to high school football in Tennessee after moving from California

Pros

Roush can be an in-line blocker at tight end immediately. He was vital in Stanford’s blocking scheme last fall in both running and passing protections.

He’s a hard-to-bring-down receiver with the ball in his hands, too. His 74 score at the NFL Combine ranked sixth among tight ends. That included a 4.70 40-yard dash time and a 38.5-inch vertical leap.

Scouts like that Roush comes from a long line of high-end athletes. His dad, Luke, is a former Duke football player. His mom, Brooke, played volleyball at Montana State. Phil Olsen, who is Roush’s maternal grandfather, played football at Utah State and later in the NFL. Roush’s maternal great uncle is the late Pro Football Hall of Famer Merlin Olsen. His paternal grandfather, John Roush, played football at and his cousin, Hans Olsen, played football at BYU.