Why the Bears Selected Stanford TE Sam Roush in Round 3 of 2026 NFL Draft

The 6-foot-6, 267-pound tight end finished his final season at Stanford with 545 receiving yards and two touchdowns on 49 receptions. He also had seven drops last season.

When asked to identify his strengths, Koziol provided a detailed response about the newest member of the Bears' tight end room.

“I would say for him, coming from Stanford, it's easy to see because they do run a lot of pro-style stuff. So you will see him with his hand in the ground firing off at a defensive lineman doing a lot of the things that translate to our level. But I think he's a big man and when you see him in person, he definitely looks the part, so he runs off the ball. He’s got physicality at the point of attack.

He's another guy that looks to finish. You see the intensity where there's buy-in in the run game, which a lot of times at the college level is, can be hit or miss, especially for somebody, who's been used in the past game like he has. So to have the combination of those two things, and I think you saw that with Colston last year too. Like somebody who can go and be a factor in the pass game, but it's going to give you the same kind of effort on the backside of his own run. I think that's really special.”

It's no surprise that coach Ben Johnson likes to utilize the tight end position. According to Sumersports, the Bears used 12 personnel (one running back and two tight ends) 8.52% of the time -- fifth most in the NFL. The Bears also finished sixth in the league in 12 personnel (32.64%)

Those heavy personnel packages helped the Bears become the No. 3 rushing team in the NFL last season, but also provided Caleb Williams additional protection on passing plays.

Roush will likely fill the role that tight end Durham Smythe had in 2025. The veteran tight end played 293 offensive snaps (25.4%) last season.

After Roush's rookie season, then there will likely be a conversation about Kmet's future with the organization. The 2027 season will be his final year under contract, but Poles reassured Kmet's value on this team.

“We do a good job, between Ben and I, we communicate really well just to give those guys a heads up and let them know what the role and the situation is," Poles said. "Nothing changes for Cole. Our feelings for Cole don’t change. Again, we're top five in 12- and 13-personnel. If something were to happen injury wise to Cole or Colston (Loveland), all of the sudden you're changing a lot of stuff, a lot of game plan stuff that is kind of your bread and butter. We feel good about that room and the guys that are in there.”

When analyzing why the Bears drafted a tight end in the third round, it's not hard to understand the reasoning. However, Poles track record in the third round may have triggered some Bears fans when Roush's name appeared on social media and television screens.

Velus Jones Jr., Zacch Pickens, Kiran Amegadjie, Roush and Zavion Thomas are now a part of Poles' round three group, but the Bears' tight end should have a defined role with the opportunity to expand as he progresses in his NFL career.