Chicago needed help at the center position following Drew Dalman's sudden retirement, so adding the reigning Rimington Trophy winner wasn't a bad decision.
The NFL Draft is one of the most unpredictable events in sports.
No matter what Mel Kiper and all of the so-called “draft experts” predict before the draft begins, multiple teams make surprising decisions, which in turn leads to players being selected higher or lower than they originally thought.
Iowa football has had many solid drafts in the 27-year Kirk Ferentz era, but the 2026 NFL Draft brought Iowa its most successful season yet, at least in terms of players selected. Seven former Hawkeyes heard their names called in the draft, which is the highest for the program since the NFL switched to the “modern era” seven-round format in 1994.
The first former Iowa player taken off the board fittingly was a member of the Hawkeyes’ Joe Moore Award-winning offensive line – center Logan Jones.
Jones was mocked as a second or third round selection by many analysts, but many anticipated teammate Gennings Dunker getting selected before him. The media turned out to be wrong, however, as the Rimington Trophy winner (best center in the nation) was selected by the Chicago Bears with the 57th overall pick in the second round.
There’s a lot of Iowans that cheer for the Hawkeyes and Bears, so Jones’ selection sent a wave of enthusiasm across the state of Iowa. But the enthusiasm has now subsided, and it’s time for Jones and the 256 other selections to join their respective teams and get to work.
Chicago drafted Jones in the second round because it felt he could be a key building block for a team with an emerging young core.
Here’s how he could fit in the Windy City:
The rundown
Nobody thought center would be a position of need for Chicago after the 2025 season. The Bears signed Drew Dalman to a three-year, $42 million contract before the year, and he rewarded them by helping quarterback Caleb Williams cut down his sack total by over 50% from his rookie season. Chicago won 11 games and the NFC North crown, and Dalman was named to his first Pro Bowl at season’s end.
But Dalman shocked the Bears by abruptly retiring on March 3, leaving a crucial position vacant. Chicago traded for Patriots center Garrett Bradbury, but he is signed to just a one-year deal.
What does that mean? Jones has a chance to be the Bears’ center of the future. He will have to prove himself in head coach Ben Johnson’s creative blocking scheme, but one look at Jones’ Hawkeye career signals he is well on his way to doing so.
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HawkeyeRoundtable publisher Brad Schultz has covered the Iowa Hawkeyes since 2023. To send him story ideas, scoops, or criticize his writing, reach him at [email protected]
