The Chicago Bears surprised everyone when they selected Stanford tight end Sam Roush with the 69th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Tight end was far from a need for the Bears, with last year’s standout Rookie Colston Loveland and Cole Kmet leading the way. But Chicago continued their strategy of selecting their best available, landing an elite blocker in Roush, who will help the run game and pass game thrive.
Roush, who stands at 6-foot-6 and weighs 267 pounds, will bring toughness and physicality to Ben Johnson’s offense. In four years with Stanford, Roush caught 119 passes for 1,201 yards and four touchdowns. But his role will be as a blocker in this offense, where Johnson wants to run the football and open things up for quarterback Caleb Williams.
Here’s a collection of all of the grades for Roush from various media outlets, where experts were divided about the Bears’ selection. While some raved about Chicago landing a great blocker, others questioned why the team went tight end over bigger needs.
USA Today: C
Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz: “More bold tight end moves. The cupboard clearly isn’t bare in Chicago, but the offense adds another option in Roush. His short arms and drops are cause for concern, and Ben Johnson will have to tap into his trademark creative streak to extract proper value from him in the passing game, though he has some promising tools.”
The Athletic: D+
Scott Dochterman: “The Bears have a significant need along the defensive line, but they’ve chosen to ignore it. They already have invested heavily at tight end in recent years, with Colston Loveland and Cole Kmet, and still have the league’s 27th-ranked run defense. Roush (6-6, 267) is a massive target, a smooth pass catcher and a terrific blocker — this grade is not an indictment of his talent.”
NFL.com: B+
Chad Reuter: “Roush met the Bears’ need for a tight end who can block and be effective as a receiver, if he cuts down on drops.”
CBS Sports: A
Mike Renner: “Roush is one of the best blocking tight ends in the draft. At nearly 270 pounds, he can legitimately go toe-to-toe with NFL defensive ends. This now gives the Bears easily the best run-blocking trio of tight ends in the NFL.”
Yahoo! Sports: C+
Charles McDonald: “Arm length is short by NFL standards, but Roush has a good, athletic profile. He’s able to play in-line and contribute in the run game in Ben Johnson’s 12 and 13 personnel.”
Sports Illustrated: C+
Matt Verderame: “Roush comes from the Big Ten, where he starred with the Cardinal. The 267-pounder is one of the bigger tight ends you’ll see, and in 2025, he caught 49 passes for 545 yards and two touchdowns. At the next level, he projects to be a blocker who can occasionally make a play in the passing game.
How he fits with the Bears: Roush is an interesting pick for the Bears, who already have a bona fide star in Colston Loveland and an excellent backup in Cole Kmet. Roush fits Ben Johnson’s run scheme, making him a valuable asset, even in limited snaps.”
Sporting News: B
Vinnie Iyer: “Ben Johnson loves having three tight ends at times and the Bears dig deep for a more of a pure blocker inline to complement dynamic receiver Colston Loveland and well-rounded Cole Kmet. Roush just may have been a slight reach before Day 3.”
Bleacher Report: B
Brent Sobleski: “The Chicago Bears’ offense will be fascinating with all the tight end talent currently found on its roster. Last year’s first-round pick, Colston Loveland, led the team in receiving last year. Veteran Cole Kmet is a viable veteran who can play in line and serve as a legitimate target. Now, the Bears add Sam Roush, whose upside is immense. He is the future of Chicago’s Y-tight end in 12 personnel. Stanford is a pipeline for tight end prospects, with 10 drafted during the previous 20 years. Roush has as much upside as anyone during that period, even Zach Ertz and Coby Fleener.
The incoming prospect is the class’s best blocking tight end. He fires off the ball low, with a flat back and drives through defenders. His real potential lies in the pass game. Stanford didn’t have the caliber of quarterback play to fully feature a tight end with Roush’s athletic prowess. In fact, the 6’6″, 270-pound player posted a top-10 RAS among the last 40 draft classes. Roush has a high floor thanks to his in-line capabilities and a sky-high ceiling if his pass-game potential is unlocked.”
For The Win: C+
For The Win: “Huh, so is this the end of the Cole Kmet era in Chicago? Colston Loveland was a hit last season, and now Chicago adds another high impact tight end to its ranks. Roush is a plus athlete at nearly 270 pounds, giving linebackers headaches when they have to either track him downfield or bring him to the turf. His blocking, however, remains a work in progress and there are a few too many drops on his tape for my liking.”
SB Nation: D
James Dator: “Look, I’m willing to go out on a limb here and make Ben Johnson make me look like an idiot. This pick sucks. There has been a bizarre run at tight end at this point in the class to where everyone was reaching like mad, and Rousch is a major reach for a team with Colston Loveland and Cole Kmet. Rousch did not make any Top 100 board because he plays small, has below average athleticism, and is a mediocre blocker.”
Bears Wire: C
Mike Pendleton: “Roush was an unnecessary choice, not because he’s a bad player but the tight end position was not one of need, and there were plenty of options available at other needs. Chicago had opportunities to bring in an offensive tackle, or edge rusher, potentially even a wide receiver if they wanted an offensive weapon, but they decided to bring in a guy who will be the third tight end on the depth chart from the start. Roush didn’t jump off the paper in box scores, and feels more as a short-field threat than a deep threat, but head coach Ben Johnson proved he knew what he was doing with the selection with Loveland last season, so only time will tell.”
This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: How NFL experts graded the Bears’ selection of Sam Roush
Reporting by Alyssa Barbieri, Bears Wire / Bears Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
