The Chicago Bears made it clear this offseason that they knew they needed to overhaul the roster, finding high football character players with plenty of speed and athleticism. Chicago’s 2026 draft class is one of the most athletic groups that has been seen in NFL history, scoring the highest RAS grades for the entire class, including third-round tight end Sam Roush.
While the selection of Roush was a bit surprising right off the start, he may fit right in with the culture and mindset that not only the offense is looking for, but what head coach Ben Johnson is looking for throughout the roster. Roush has been praised for his blocking abilities that should help him find the field in his rookie season, especially with the personnel that the Bears like to run with Ben Johnson leading the way.
While he may not get many pass catching opportunities to start, Roush explained how he uses his physicality at the tight end position, which will make him a fan and coaching favorite sooner than later.
“Blocking’s a huge part of my identity as a player,” Roush said. “That’s something that I take immense pride in. That’s something that I’ve worked on every day in college. That’s obviously where a lot of my value is in the league. Chicago’s a place that’s going to value that. I’m going to do everything that I can to play my role on this team. All I want to do is help the team be successful and I’m going to do whatever it takes to make that happen.”
Roush’s mentality will also help him fall in line with Johnson’s mindset of “no block, no rock” and could create more opportunities for himself as a rookie, by doing the dirty work other young tight ends in the league may not be willing to do. With Colston Loveland and Cole Kmet holding down the big passing opportunities at tight end, Roush could find the field purely off his athleticism and gritty mindset.
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Rookie Sam Roush explains how he’ll be most valuable to Bears
Reporting by Mike Pendleton, Bears Wire / Bears Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
