When the Chicago Bears went on the clock with the No. 69 overall pick on Day 2 of the NFL draft, few expected them to target a pass catcher, especially not a tight end.
But the selection of Stanford tight end Sam Roush sent ripples through the draft community, leaving analysts shocked and sparking immediate speculation about the future of the Bears’ roster.
Bears Shock the NFL with Surprising Day 2 Selection
On the Day 2 live draft episode of “Football Debate Club,” the analysts from PFSN, Cam Mellor, Ian Cummings, and Jacob Infante, broke down each pick.
“I’m just surprised, more than anything, they went with a tight end here,” said Infante. “I mean, maybe that means they try and trade Cole Kmet, they want to move off him. I don’t know… tight end is probably the last place I was expecting them to go.”
Infante noted that while the Bears frequently utilized tight end Durham Smythe in various personnel packages before his recent departure, adding a player of Roush’s caliber in the third round could signal a looming major trade.
Standing at a towering 6-foot-6 and weighing 267 pounds, Roush brings an undeniable physical presence to the gridiron. During his highly productive 2025 senior campaign at Stanford, he accrued 49 catches for 545 yards and 2 touchdowns.
His stellar play earned him a PFSN CFB TE Impact Metric Score of 83.9, a B grade that ranked him an impressive fifth among all collegiate tight ends in the nation last season.
On tape, Roush flashes immense upside, particularly in the trenches.
“Sam Roush is one of the best run-blocking tight ends in this class, and he’s an elite-level athlete,” Infante acknowledged. “He’s able to drive defenders off the line of scrimmage as an in-line defender… I love the athletic upside. I love the physicality as a run blocker.”
Roush is not without his flaws, leading to mixed evaluations regarding his immediate NFL readiness as a receiver. Analysts point to a high drop rate and a need for technical refinement. Cummings emphasized that Roush remains a developmental prospect despite his elite physical traits.
“The athletic profile is good, and I think the blocking power profile is good. I thought his game was pretty inconsistent on film, though,” Cummings noted. “I think you see a guy who can be very streaky as a route runner. I feel like there’s a lot of room to improve with stem IQ.”
Cummings added that Roush’s hands aren’t “supernatural,” noting that while the blocking ability and receiving production are there, the execution can be sloppy. “The idea of Sam Roush is better than Sam Roush right now,” he concluded.
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Despite the necessary developmental curve in the passing game, Roush is expected to see a decent amount of playing time early on, likely operating as an in-line blocker where he can immediately leverage his raw power.
Whether this surprise Day 2 pick ends up pushing Cole Kmet out of Chicago is still up in the air, but it’s evident the Bears are taking a big swing to shake up their tight end room.
