The Chicago Bears won the NFC North in 2025, for the first time since 2018. They earned the No. 2 seed in the NFC playoffs out of one of the toughest divisions in all of football, with all four teams finishing with a record above .500. The Bears even won a home playoff game, creating an electric second-half comeback to knock off the Packers before ultimately losing in overtime to the Rams at Soldier Field.
Chicago isn’t content to end their aspirations there, either. The Bears are looking to build upon that success and reprise their division-winning season in 2026, this time with a longer postseason run. To do that, they set about improving the roster, making some smart free agent signings and putting together an excellent draft haul.
One Bears draft pick, in particular, is flying a bit under the radar. But don’t let that fool you: he could be an instant-impact playmaker.
One Chicago Bears Rookie Named an “Instant Impact” Draft Pick by ESPN Analyst
DALLAS, TEXAS – OCTOBER 11: Sam Roush #86 of the Stanford Cardinal (now of the Chicago Bears) carries the ball during the first half against the SMU Mustangs at Gerald J. Ford Stadium on October 11, 2025 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)
On Monday, ESPN’s Field Yates listed his “under the radar” draft picks that could make an instant impact on their new team. To qualify for his article, these picks had to fall outside the first round.
One player Yates highlighted was Bears TE Sam Roush, formerly of Stanford. Though his production in the Cardinal’s struggling offense doesn’t jump off the page, he was widely considered the best blocking tight end in the class, with the size and athleticism to be a problem in the passing game.
“Roush has an assortment of tight end skills, being a premium athlete for his 6-foot-5, 260-pound size,” Yates wrote. “He figures to assume the valuable TE3 role that Durham Smythe played for the Bears last season, along with being a major special teams factor.”
“Roush should see the field plenty considering that Smythe played 25% of Chicago’s offensive snaps and 50% of its special teams snaps in 2025.”
Bears TE Sam Roush Has Intriguing Potential
Before the draft, I ranked Roush as the fourth-best tight end in the class — and the Bears got him in the third round. My scouting report on Roush read as follows:
“Roush is big and extremely athletic for a tight end,” I wrote for NFL Trade Rumors. “It’s not just straight-line speed with him, either (though he does have that) — his tested short-area quickness, explosiveness, and agility numbers all jump off the page. Players Roush’s size aren’t supposed to have the flexibility and stop/start acceleration that he does, and it makes him a uniquely intriguing prospect.”
“As a blocker, he puts in the work, getting dirty and helping the offense churn out tough yards. Unlike many tight ends in this class, he lines up in-line frequently and is effective as both a pass and run blocker. You can stick him on the end as an extra offensive lineman when you need one, or split him out wide to create mismatches in the passing game. That versatility is a weapon.”
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