The Chicago Bears selected former Stanford tight end Sam Roush in the third round with the 69th overall pick of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Roush, a 6-foot-6, 275-pound former Lipscomb Academy high school standout in Nashville, was a second-team All-ACC selection in 2025 after 12 starts. He had career highs in catches (49), receiving yards (545) and caught two touchdown passes.
He ranked sixth among FBS tight ends in receiving yards and eighth in receptions.
Roush played at Lipscomb for his senior year only, under Super Bowl-winning quarterback Trent Dilfer, helping the Mustangs win the 2021 TSSAA football state title.
Here are the pros and cons of selecting Roush in the 2026 NFL Draft.
More: Stanford commitment Sam Roush adjusts to high school football in Tennessee after moving from California
Roush can be an in-line blocker at tight end immediately. He was vital in Stanford’s blocking scheme last fall in both running and passing protections.
He’s a hard-to-bring-down receiver with the ball in his hands, too. His 74 score at the NFL Combine ranked sixth among tight ends. That included a 4.70 40-yard dash time and a 38.5-inch vertical leap.
Scouts like that Roush comes from a long line of high-end athletes. His dad, Luke, is a former Duke football player. His mom, Brooke, played volleyball at Montana State. Phil Olsen, who is Roush’s maternal grandfather, played football at Utah State and later in the NFL. Roush’s maternal great uncle is the late Pro Football Hall of Famer Merlin Olsen. His paternal grandfather, John Roush, played football at Ohio and his cousin, Hans Olsen, played football at BYU.
He had a career year on offense last fall, but Roush isn’t viewed as a big-play offensive threat yet. He’s still learning to use his size to his advantage and doesn’t have a huge catch radius.
So if Roush is on the field, don’t expect him to be in the mix for a lot of throws.
Route technique and limiting holding penalties are two other areas of question, according to NFL analyst Chad Reuter.
Roush can have an immediate impact as a blocking tight end with his size and strength but will take some time to become an offensive threat.
He could get there one day, but he could be an immediate contributor for a team with blocking needs.
Scouts were impressed by the Stanford graduate’s knowledge and ability to pick up on things quickly.
Tyler Palmateer covers high school sports for The Tennessean. Have a story idea for Tyler? Reach him at tpalmateer@tennessean.com and on the X platform, @tpalmateer83.
He also contributes to The Tennessean's high school sports newsletter, The Bootleg. Subscribe to The Bootleg here.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Chicago Bears pick Sam Roush in 2026 NFL Draft