An NFL expert defends a surprising third-round tight end selection, revealing strategic foresight for the Bears' future personnel and blocking needs.
The Chicago Bears made seven selections in the 2026 NFL Draft.
It started with Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman at No. 25. The Bears then got Iowa center Logan Jones, Stanford tight end Sam Roush, LSU receiver Zavion Thomas, Texas cornerback Malik Muhammad, Arizona State linebacker Keyshaun Elliott and Georgia Tech defensive tackle Jordan Van Den Berg.
One of the more polarizing picks that the Bears made was taking Roush in the third round. Chicago didn't desperately need another tight end behind Colston Loveland and Cole Kmet.
Loveland and Kmet are going to be the tight end tandem in Chicago for at least the next couple of years until the veteran's contract runs out in 2028.
Bears fans questioned the pick at first, with some calling it a reach. ESPN's Matt Miller went on 104.3 The Score to assure people that it was definitely not a reach. He clarified that the Jacksonville Jaguars' pick of Nate Boerkircher in the second round was.
Miller believed that, as the league increasingly progresses towards more 12- and 13-personnel, a tight end like Roush was a priority.
"Yeah, it's not a reach," Miller said. "Number one. It's not. Look at the number of tight ends. Nate Boerkircher in the second round to Jacksonville was a reach. That's a reach. That started this run we saw on tight ends. Sam Roush was not a reach, and to your point, you're absolutely right. When you lose Durham Smythe, who's a really good blocker, yeah, you have [Cole] Kmet. [Colston] Loveland's like an extra receiver, guys. He doesn't really count when we're counting tight ends in a lot of ways. You needed that blocker, and yes, you are gonna see the proliferation of the 12 and 13 personnel. Defenses are getting smaller and faster. How do you counter that? With big bodies, but big bodies that can confuse teams in terms of personnel package."
I wrote about how savvy the picks were by General Manager Ryan Poles in a recent article. The picks prove that Poles wasn't just concerned with the immediate future, but also the long term.
As previously mentioned, Kmet won't be under contract much longer. Roush can be used to counter defenses that are getting smaller and faster in the short term. Plus, if the Bears decide they want to move on from Kmet instead of giving him another contract, they can do that knowing that they have a player on the roster with a similar skillset in Roush, who can be a reliable blocker.
If you thought that taking Roush in the third round was a reach, you just weren't paying enough attention. This move was the right one, and it's one that Chicago could benefit from immediately or later on down the road.