The Chicago Bears selected Stanford tight end Sam Roush at 69th overall in the 2026 NFL Draft, surprising many experts. Roush is expected to enhance the team's multi-tight end offensive strategy.
Key points
Chicago Bears selected Sam Roush in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Roush was picked 69th overall from Stanford.
The Bears utilize a multi-tight end offensive strategy.
Roush is seen as an elite blocker.
He fills the void left by Durham Smythe's departure.
Sam RoushDurham SmytheColston LovelandCole Kmet
What draft experts said about new Bears tight end Sam Roush
The Chicago Bears went a surprising direction in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft with the selection of Stanford tight end Sam Roush at 69th overall, adding another tight end for head coach Ben Johnson's offense.
While tight end was far from the biggest need on the board at that point, it's not a big surprise that Chicago went in that direction given Johnson's penchant for 13 personnel. The Bears ran the fifth-most 13 personnel in the NFL last season, and we've seen how Johnson's offense relies on multi-tight end sets.
Roush fills the void left by Durham Smythe, who departed in free agency. The rookie has been hailed as an elite blocker who will complement last year's first-round pick Colston Loveland and veteran Cole Kmet as Chicago looks to maintain its stance as a top-five offense in the league.
2026 NFL Draft: Bears select Dillon Thieneman in first round (No. 25)
2026 NFL Draft: Bears select Logan Jones
Q&A
Why did the Chicago Bears draft Sam Roush in the 2026 NFL Draft?
The Bears drafted Sam Roush to strengthen their tight end position and support their offensive strategy, particularly their use of 13 personnel.
What is Sam Roush's role in the Bears' offense?
Sam Roush is expected to be an elite blocker and complement existing tight ends, helping the Bears maintain a strong offensive performance.
Who did the Bears lose that prompted the drafting of Sam Roush?
The Bears lost tight end Durham Smythe to free agency, creating a need for a new player in that position.
How does Sam Roush fit into the Bears' offensive strategy?
Roush fits into the Bears' strategy by enhancing their use of multi-tight end sets, which head coach Ben Johnson favors.
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"A three-year starter at Stanford, Roush worked primarily inline as an attached Y tight end in former head coach Frank Reich’s offense. After not playing football until high school, he made up for lost time and produced improved tape each season — as both a receiver and blocker — for the Cardinal. He doesn’t have much “wow” on that tape, but his combine performance opened some eyes.
With his rugby background, Roush prides himself on trying to be the toughest and most physical player on the field. He works to center his blocks and strains to sustain, even moving defensive linemen against their will at times. As a pass catcher, his quickness at the snap helps him uncover in the short-to-intermediate parts of the field, although his catch-point consistency must improve (12.5 percent drop rate in 2025)."
"In a draft landscape full of pass-catching tight ends, Roush stands out as one of the few plug-and-play “Y” tight ends (in-line blocking TE) available. He can make cut-off blocks in zone and combo blocks in gap schemes. He holds his own in pass protection, too. As a receiver, he’s not stiff, but he lacks elusiveness underneath. He needs to apply more of his tough playing style to win combat catches and expand his role beyond run blocker/zone beater. While his catch production might draw questions, his size, toughness and pro-ready blocking profile could push him into Day 2 consideration."
"Roush has the build of an NFL tight end capable of playing on the line of scrimmage. As a blocking “Y” tight end, he can be a valuable piece in heavy personnel packages and some single-tight-end looks, though his impact in the passing game will likely be limited."
"Roush is not a seam stretcher, and his short arms are cause for some concern. But his combine workout displayed some untapped explosive athletic traits that can be nurtured in the NFL. While he’s not a burner, he runs physical, crisp routes and exhibits some good acceleration out of his cuts. His body control and stop-start ability (both impressive for a 6-foot-6, 267-pound player) really show up on tape, and they were further confirmed by a three-cone of 7.08 seconds, best among tight ends, and a good short shuttle of 4.37 seconds.
He has good but not elite skills. He plucks the ball and seamlessly transitions upfield. He didn’t get many downfield catch opportunities in college, but when he did, I really liked his tracking ability and his confidence attacking the ball. He shows good focus and will make some tough contested catches while securing the ball in traffic. However, his shorter arms show up in two areas: First, when the ball is low and/or behind him in the quick game, he has difficulty adjusting to it. Second, he failed on a couple of opportunities to reach back over and head-top smaller defensive backs. There are only a few examples of those two limitations on tape, but there will be some concern about his smaller-than-ideal catch radius.
Roush is really strong after the catch. He runs with good contact balance and bounces off tackles. He also displays excellent ball security, with only one fumble on 119 career receptions, which he recovered. And he’s one of the best blocking tight ends in this class. Yes, his short arms show up on tape, and he fails to sustain at times, but his effort is awesome, he takes good angles, he shows good pop at the point of attack, and he fights to the finish."
Multi-functional player who brings in-line ability to go with the multitude of ways he can impact an offense as a blocker. He shines in pass protection and consistently works his hands to find proper leverage.
The 6'6", 267-pound tight end showcases a well-balanced route tree and timing. Roush reads defensive leverage and can adjust his route while manipulating defenders in man coverage.
With enough speed to work the seam, Roush can sell routes vertically. He also sinks his hips and decelerates at the top of his routes to create separation.
Flashes the tools to catch the ball away from his body and turn upfield, while churning out physical yards after the catch. He plays with great effort.
Areas of improvement
When blocking, Roush tends to create a wide base, which makes it difficult to absorb and redistribute power. He will lunge and lower his head, thus falling off some blocks.
He must refine his technique since his film is littered with concentration drops and inconsistent hand placement when the ball is in the air (alligator arms).
Fighting through contact in his routes, as well as at the catch point, will allow him to create more separation.
Roush must continue to develop his feel for zone-coverage and locate soft spots to exploit in the passing game.
"Sam Roush is a blocking tight end and chain-moving receiver who will translate quickly to the NFL, but has limited upside in basically every area. I would describe Roush as a solid overall blocker who is well-rounded enough to do a lot of things for a team’s scheme, but doesn’t do any of them really well. He has some of the shortest arms for a tight end we have seen in the last 30 years, which show up in his trench battles against bigger opponents.
But Roush is plenty strong, has good technique and can block on the move. He’s probably one of the better split zone blockers in the class, which helps makes him functional as a starter if you need one. However, I don’t think he’ll ever be a big-time game changer as a blocker, and he’s definitely not going to be one in the passing game.
Almost 80 percent of Roush’s targets came within nine yards of the line of scrimmage in 2025. In 2024, that number was almost 90 percent! Despite the close range targets, Roush still dropped seven passes last season for a 12.5 percent drop rate. He tested well and plays at top speed consistently, but it’s just hard to trust a receiving profile like this in the NFL.
If Roush made more tough catches, finished through contact better or was more reliable grabbing the ball outside his frame, maybe I’d be willing to buy the “upside” argument that has arisen since the Combine. But I just don’t see a natural receiver on tape, nor do I see a player that threatens down the field at all. Roush works hard to get open, but separation and finishing consistently left me wanting more on tape.
In an ideal world, Roush is a backup who could function as a spot starter, but will likely be more coveted by teams who run more 12/13 personnel and just need to get a pro on the field without major deficiencies as a blocker. As long as an NFL team doesn’t value that too highly, Roush should be a solid depth pickup for a team late in the draft."
"Indianapolis changed the conversation on Sam Roush. Before the Combine, the tape showed a well-coached, ascending tight end from a run-first Stanford system who did a little bit of everything without doing any one thing at an eye-popping level. The athletic testing told a different story entirely. A 267-pound man has no business posting a 38.5-inch vertical and a 10-foot-6 broad jump, let alone running a three-cone faster than Kyle Pitts and showing agility on a weight-adjusted basis that compares to Sam LaPorta. That 87 athleticism score, third among all tight ends, forced evaluators to look at the film with different eyes, and what you see when you go back is a player whose physical ceiling was never fully tapped in an offense that leaned on the ground game.
The fit that maximizes Roush is a traditional scheme that values inline tight ends and asks them to wear multiple hats. Think Baltimore's tight end rotation, or what San Francisco does with their multi-tight end personnel groupings: block on early downs, release into routes off play-action, contribute in pass protection, and give the quarterback a trustworthy target on third and medium. He is not a move tight end who should be split out wide on every third down, but he is far more than a blocking specialist. That steady production curve at Stanford, improving his catch totals and yardage every year despite the offense never centering around him, suggests a player who will only produce more when a coaching staff actually designs touches for him. Red zone and play-action heavy offenses should have him circled.
The drops are real, and that 74.3 passer rating when targeted is not something you can hand-wave away. His route breaks need to get sharper, and the blocking technique requires a position coach willing to invest daily reps in his footwork and hand placement. Those are fair concerns. But the athletic testing puts a new floor and ceiling on this evaluation that the pre-Combine tape alone did not reveal. Roush is a high-character, ascending player with legitimate NFL size, verified explosion, bloodlines steeped in professional football, and the kind of work ethic that coaches trust. He played against quality competition throughout his ACC career and improved every single season. The tight end position rewards patience and development more than almost any spot on the roster, and Roush's trajectory says he is not close to finished yet. An NFL team that grabs him on Day 2 is getting a player with a real chance to grow into a starting-caliber TE2 who can spot-start without hurting you and whose athletic upside gives him a path to more than that if the technical pieces come together."
